USA Reinstates Blockade of Iranian Ports and Will Charge Toll for Passage Through the Strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump announced on Monday that the United States is reimposing a blockade on Iranian ports.

He made the announcement on the social media platform Truth Social, noting that the Strait of Hormuz is “open and will remain open”— with or without Iran.

“The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving,” he wrote.

Trump emphasized that all other countries can use the Strait of Hormuz without hindrance.

At the same time, he said, the US will now, for a fee, act as the guarantor of maritime security in the strait.

“The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security,” the US president stated.

He also added that the United States is immediately beginning to implement this mechanism. Trump did not specify exactly when it would take effect or how long it would remain in place. In late June, Iran attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since signing a peace agreement with the United States.

On July 6, the Iranian military launched missile strikes against commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, hitting at least two tankers.

On July 7, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz had been attacked by an unidentified drone.

On July 8, US Central Command announced “high-precision strikes” against Iranian air defense systems, command and control centers, coastal radar stations, anti-ship missile systems, as well as vessels of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in and near the Strait of Hormuz. For its part, the IRGC stated that Iranian naval and air forces had attacked 85 US military facilities located in Bahrain and Kuwait.

On July 8, at the NATO summit, Trump declared that the ceasefire with Iran was no longer in effect.