Trump says US will become ‘guardian’ of Strait of Hormuz and collect tolls
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- Trump announced via Truth Social and a Fox News interview that the US is reinstating 'the Iranian blockade' and will be 'the guardian of the Hormuz Strait,' demanding a 20% reimbursement toll on all cargo shipped through the strait, effective immediately.
- Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters rejected any US control of the strait, warning that allied cooperation with the US would be 'regarded as an act of war against Iran's sovereignty' and that Iran's armed forces would 'respond forcefully' to unauthorized disruption.
- The US and Iran traded fresh attacks on Monday — Iran struck US military sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan, while US forces targeted Iranian port cities — breaking a months-long pause in fighting that had largely held since April.
- The blockade and toll plan mark another key provision of the June MoU dissolving; that initial agreement had called for lifting the US naval blockade and opening the strait to all shipping during a 60-day negotiation window over Iran's nuclear program and frozen assets.
- Strait of Hormuz traffic has seen a 'drastic decline' in commercial vessels since the latest attacks, according to maritime security analyst Dimitris Maniatis, reversing a 'tremendous increase' that followed the June MoU signing.
- Roughly 20% of the world's oil and gas exports normally transit the Strait of Hormuz, and The Hill separately reports traffic has dropped to its lowest level in five weeks.
Why it matters: The reimposed blockade and 20% toll demand directly fracture the June MoU framework, with Iran already treating allied support for the US as an act of war. With one-fifth of global oil and gas transiting the strait and traffic already plunging, the breakdown threatens a critical energy corridor while disputes over Iran's nuclear program and frozen assets remain unresolved.
