Trump vows 'hard' strikes on Iran, plans Hormuz transit fees

President Donald Trump declared the United States would strike Iran "hard" for a third consecutive night, as the military launched a new salvo of attacks and prepared to reimpose a blockade on Iranian ports. "We're going to hit them very hard tonight, and we're going to hit them hard tomorrow," Trump stated at the White House.

US Central Command confirmed strikes began at 2045 GMT, aiming to impose a "heavy cost on Iranian forces" and degrade their ability to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. A reimposed blockade was set to begin Tuesday at 2000 GMT. The escalating conflict sent oil prices soaring over nine percent.

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We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, and we’re going to hit them hard tomorrow.

Trump also announced the US would be "THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT" and levy a 20 percent fee on all cargo passing through the vital waterway, while promising "fair and open use" for other nations. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded with sarcasm, agreeing that a guardian should be compensated but suggesting Tehran would charge less than Trump's proposed 20 percent.

Competing claims over the strait intensified as both sides traded attacks on a scale not seen since an April ceasefire. The US military reported hitting dozens of targets, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed new strikes on Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and Oman. Trump further threatened to destroy a deeply buried nuclear site near Natanz, where Western intelligence suspects Iran is developing an undeclared enrichment facility.

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20% is of course too much.