U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States would reimpose a naval blockade on Iran and levy a 20% fee on all goods shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran announced it had closed the strategic waterway.
Trump added that the operation would begin immediately, without providing further details.
Earlier, Trump said the United States would be “paid” for protecting the Strait of Hormuz after declaring that Washington was “in the process of taking control” of the strategic passage.
“We will become the guardians of the strait,” Trump said, adding that the United States had protected it for years without compensation, but would now receive payments from wealthy nations.
“We will be paid for protecting it. A lot of money. We simply want to be compensated for everything we have done and for putting our people at risk,” he added.
On Saturday, July 11, 2026, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it had once again closed the Strait of Hormuz and banned the passage of ships until further notice.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a major flashpoint in the conflict that erupted on February 28, 2026, following the start of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
Despite U.S. objections, Iran insists there will be no return to the pre-war status quo in the Strait of Hormuz, when vessels could transit without Iranian fees or oversight. Tehran has also warned that ships attempting to use alternative routes instead of the only designated shipping lane along its coastline could be targeted.
Control of the strait—which carried around one-fifth of global oil supplies before the war—has given Iran significant leverage, effectively providing it with a powerful strategic bargaining chip.
Sources: AFP and Reuters
