Former President Donald Trump announced Monday that the United States will assume the role of "THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT" and will impose a 20% toll on all cargo shipped through the waterway. Trump stated that the U.S. will be reimbursed for costs associated with providing safety and security in the region, and that this process will begin immediately.
Trump's declaration came shortly after he told Fox News that the U.S. would "probably run" the Strait of Hormuz, alleging that Iran had violated a previous agreement with the United States. He asserted, "We are taking over the strait."
Iran's military headquarters responded forcefully, stating it would not permit U.S. "interference in the management" of the Strait of Hormuz. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Khatam al-Anbiya, commented that "repeated adventurism and malicious actions" by the U.S. in the strait have "seriously endangered regional security, international trade and the passage of oil tankers and commercial vessels." Iran warned that any cooperation with the U.S. would be considered an act of "war" against Iran's sovereignty, and that if the conflict escalates, "the flames of war will engulf all the countries of the region."
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency overseeing global shipping, stated that it "stands firmly against charging fees for passage through straits used for international navigation." A spokesperson for the IMO added that "there is no legal basis through which to introduce mandatory tolls simply to transit through a strait."
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial chokepoint for global oil transportation, with a significant portion of the world's oil passing through it. The U.S. has historically played a role in ensuring the security of maritime traffic in the region. The announcement by Trump marks a significant escalation in rhetoric and proposed actions concerning the vital waterway.