Trump reinstating naval blockade of Iranian ports

Trump reinstates naval blockade of Iranian ports

President Donald Trump announced that the United States is reinstating a naval blockade of Iranian ports and will impose a 20% fee on all cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The blockade aims to prevent "Iran's ships or customers" from accessing the vital oil shipping route, while ensuring "all other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait," he stated in a social media update. Trump emphasized that the strait "will remain OPEN, with or without Iran." Iran previously declared it would not permit the US to "interfere" in the management of the waterway, which it claimed was closed.

Tensions escalated between Tehran and Washington over control of the strait on Monday, following a series of strikes exchanged in the region overnight. The US reported conducting strikes on military targets in Iran, focusing on air defense systems, coastal radars, and missile and drone sites. In retaliation, Iran claimed to have targeted US military bases in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain, as well as radars in Oman.

In his Truth Social post on Monday, Trump wrote: "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 to this very volatile section of the World."

He added that "the process and formation will begin immediately." His remarks followed an interview with Fox News, where he stated that the US would "probably run" the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that Iran "broke" a prior agreement with the US. "We are taking over the strait," he declared.

Tehran has yet to respond to these developments. A spokesperson for the International Maritime Organization, the UN agency overseeing global shipping, was quoted by Reuters as saying that "IMO stands firmly against charging fees for passage through straits used for international navigation." The spokesperson further noted, "There is no legal basis through which to introduce mandatory tolls simply to transit through a strait."

Iran has made it clear that it will not permit the US to control the crucial waterway, stating that its armed forces are addressing any disturbances from the "pirate army" of the US. Any collaboration with the US will be viewed as an act of "war" against Iran's sovereignty, with warnings that if the conflict escalates, "the flames of war will engulf all the countries of the region."

Prior to Trump's announcement, Iran's top military command stated it would not allow US interference in the management of the Strait of Hormuz. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Khatam al-Anbiya, remarked that "repeated adventurism and malicious actions" from the US in the strait have "seriously endangered regional security, international trade and the passage of oil tankers and commercial vessels."

While a limited number of vessels seem to be navigating through the Strait of Hormuz, traffic remains restricted, according to the ship tracking website MarineTraffic. The practical implications of Trump's latest announcement remain uncertain.

United Nations regulations permit countries to exercise control over territorial seas extending up to 12 nautical miles (13.8 miles) from their coastlines. At its narrowest point, the Strait of Hormuz and its shipping lanes lie entirely within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman.

Iran effectively closed the strait—through which approximately 25% of the world's oil and 20% of global liquefied natural gas previously flowed—after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28. Tehran retaliated by launching missiles and drones at Israel and US military bases in several Gulf nations. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) of Iran also targeted commercial vessels attempting to transit the strait without permission and seized two ships. This led to a significant drop in maritime traffic through the strait, causing a spike in oil prices.

The US initially imposed a naval blockade on all Iranian ports in April to exert pressure on Tehran, lifting it in June as part of a preliminary memorandum of understanding aimed at resolving the conflict.

Now, many US allies may hesitate at the idea of reimbursing the US and paying 20% on all cargo shipped, while Trump's critics both domestically and internationally are likely to highlight that the strait was open and unobstructed before the onset of the war.

The announcement could also complicate Trump's political standing at home. Some lawmakers, including fellow Republicans, have openly questioned the benefits of the ceasefire, its extension, and further negotiations. Many Americans may also be concerned about rising oil prices, despite repeated assurances to the contrary. Although Trump is not on the ballot for the upcoming midterm elections, other Republicans are, and they will likely hear from constituents worried about prices.

This announcement could also serve as a strategy to reignite negotiations and encourage