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President Donald Trump has declared that the United States will assume responsibility for securing the Strait of Hormuz and impose a 20 percent charge on all cargo passing through the vital waterway.
The resumed naval blockade comes as the US and Iran traded their latest round of attacks.
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is a critical chokepoint for global energy supplies, handling approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil shipments. It has long been a flashpoint in regional conflicts.
In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump declared the strait “is open, and will remain open, with or without Iran.”
He described the move as reinstating what he called an “Iranian blockade” that would specifically target Iranian vessels and their customers while allowing “fair and open use” by other nations.
“The United States will now be known as THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” Trump said, adding that the US would be reimbursed “at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped” to cover the costs of providing security in the volatile region.
“The process and formation will begin immediately,” he added.
Meanwhile, the US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Centre disclosed the blockade would begin at 20 GMT on Tuesday, Reuters reports.
In a statement, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) objected to the imposition of the levy.
The IMO said, “We have always been consistent on our stance on fees – IMO stands firmly against charging fees for passage through straits used for international navigation.
“There is no legal basis through which to introduce mandatory tolls simply to transit through a strait.”
