Trump Says US Will Take Control of Hormuz, Seeks 20% Security Fee on Cargo

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States would take control of the Strait of Hormuz and charge commercial vessels a 20% security fee based on total cargo, saying the money would cover the cost of maintaining security in the strategic waterway.

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said, “The Strait of Hormuz is open and, whether Iran is there or not, it will remain open. We are once again enforcing a naval blockade against Iran. To cover the funds required to ensure safety and security in this highly unstable region of the world, commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz will have to pay 20% on their total cargo.”

Trump said the measure would take effect immediately. He did not explain how the money would be collected or which countries would be required to pay it.

Before the Truth Social post, Trump made similar remarks in an interview on Fox News programme Fox & Friends. He said, “The United States will take control of the Strait of Hormuz. We will protect it and we will run it. We will become the guardian of the Strait of Hormuz. And to carry out that responsibility, we absolutely must be paid.” Trump said the United States had provided security for the crucial shipping route free of charge until now, but that would no longer continue.

Trump also said, “Many other rich countries are with us. So we cannot perform this responsibility for free. We should be paid for ensuring security.”

About 20% of the world’s seaborne crude oil and liquefied natural gas, or LNG, passes through the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, any instability in the route has an immediate impact on global energy markets.

Control of the Strait of Hormuz has become a major issue in the dispute between the United States and Iran during the recent conflict. After Iran effectively imposed a blockade on the strait, oil prices rose in international markets. Fears of inflation also began rising again worldwide.

Last Saturday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, fired warning shots to stop a ship for not using an authorised route in Hormuz. Following that incident, a decision was taken to keep Hormuz closed. The IRGC said the strait would remain closed until further notice.

In a statement on Monday, the IRGC said the only way to restore normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz was for the United States to stop military intervention in the region.

In the Fox News interview, Trump alleged that the United States had reached an understanding with Iran, but Tehran later broke it. He said, “We had a deal. Everything was final. But then they broke it. They always do that. We have had 10 deals with them and every time they broke them. So this time we will respond very harshly.”

Since the start of this week, the United States and Iran have exchanged heavy missile and drone attacks. Iran said it had attacked US military installations in the Gulf region and had also kept the Strait of Hormuz closed. The United States, meanwhile, has continued strikes on various Iranian targets. The exchanges have significantly widened the geographic scope and intensity of the conflict over the past week.

Last month, the United States and Iran reached an interim understanding under which the Strait of Hormuz was to be reopened and efforts made over the following 60 days to resolve disputes through full negotiations. But recent clashes and Iran’s announcement that the strait would remain closed have created fresh uncertainty over the future of that understanding.