The US to charge 20% of cargo value passing through Strait of Hormuz and resumes blockade of Iranian vessels

The US will charge 20% of the value of cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz and is renewing its blockade of Iranian vessels and their customers.

President Donald Trump wrote about this on his social network Truth Social.

According to Trump, these funds are to cover the US costs of protecting the strait from Iranian attacks, and the implementation of the plan will begin immediately. At the same time, the US is renewing the blockade of Iranian vessels and their customers. All others, as Trump claims, will have "fair and open" access to the strait.

"From now on, the United States will be called the ʼGuardians of the Strait of Hormuz,ʼ but for the sake of fairness, they will receive compensation,” Trump writes.

The day before, Trump said that the US could take control of the Strait of Hormuz and should be paid for its protection, because "other countries are very rich" and support Washington.

What preceded

On June 18, the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding committing to a 60-day ceasefire. But on July 8, the sides exchanged blows again, with Iran striking ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the US striking targets on Iranian territory.

Then US President Donald Trump declared that the memorandum of understanding was no longer in effect. Already on July 10, Trump reported that Iran had asked to continue peace talks. According to him, the US agreed, but emphasized that the truce was over.

A US official told ABC News that despite the exchange of strikes, the US and Iran are continuing technical talks on Iranʼs nuclear program, and the 60-day ceasefire and memorandum of understanding remain in effect.

At the same time, a CNN source says that the US is deliberately alternating strikes with pauses to continue negotiations. Washington has a list of potential targets and is ready to attack them if necessary, but for now it prefers diplomacy.

On July 12, the US again attacked Iran — for the third time in a week — in response to an attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran then declared that the Strait of Hormuz was closed again.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.