Trump Is Taking a Page Out of Iran’s Playbook
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- Trump declared the US the 'Guardian of the Hormuz Strait' on Truth Social Monday, vowing to charge all cargo vessels a 20% fee for 'safety and security' in the waterway
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio had argued just last month that 'no country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway' under existing international law
- A fifth of global oil and gas once transited the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran has effectively shut it down since the US-Iran war ignited in late February, disrupting supply chains
- The UN's International Maritime Organization condemned any toll attempts by Washington or Tehran as violations of global freedom of navigation norms
- Trump also reimposed a US military blockade on Iran that violates the June MOU ceasefire, telling Fox News: 'We've had 10 deals with these people. And so, we're just going to hit them very hard'
- Iran's IRGC warned that continued US military intervention 'could lead to greater incidents in the global oil and gas sector' while Tehran continues attacking ships that use the alternate route hugging Oman's coast
Why it matters: By flipping from opposing tolls to imposing a 20% fee, the US undercuts its own legal argument that no nation may charge for transit of international waterways—and the UN's IMO has already condemned both Washington and Tehran for that exact move, putting American policy on the same footing as Iran's.
