U.S. Plans Hormuz Cargo Charge as Iran Warns Against Interference
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the United States had "seriously endangered the security of the world's oil and gas supply" by interfering in the Strait of Hormuz.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States will impose a 20% charge on all cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz to cover the cost of securing the strategic waterway, while announcing the reinstatement of a blockade targeting Iranian shipping.
In a post on social media, Trump declared that the "Hormuz Strait is OPEN" and said Washington was restoring "the Iranian blockade," describing it as a measure that would only prevent Iranian ships or vessels serving Iranian customers from entering or leaving the strait.
He added that the United States "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" in the vital maritime corridor.
Iran swiftly rejected the announcement, accusing Washington of escalating tensions in the region.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the United States had "seriously endangered the security of the world's oil and gas supply" by interfering in the Strait of Hormuz. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi said Tehran would continue to exercise "sovereignty over and management of the Strait of Hormuz."
Separately, Iran's Khatam Al-Anbiya military command warned that Tehran would "under no circumstances" allow the United States to interfere in the management of the strategic waterway. The military also warned Gulf countries that any cooperation with U.S. operations in the strait would be considered "an act of war."
The latest exchange comes amid renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran, with both sides making competing claims over control and security of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil shipments pass.