US to restore Iran blockade, charge fees for Strait of Hormuz shipping

President Donald Trump declared on Monday that the United States will reinstate a blockade targeting Iranian vessels and impose fees on commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. This announcement follows a recent exchange of attacks that has further diminished hopes for negotiating an end to the conflict.

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We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving.

Trump stated on social media that vessels trading with Iran or Iranian ships themselves would be barred from the strategic waterway. However, he clarified that other commercial traffic would be permitted to continue, but under a new system requiring payments for safe passage. "We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving," Trump wrote online. "All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait."

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All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait.

The U.S. will implement a 20 percent charge on qualifying cargoes passing through the strait. Trump described this measure as a means to fund "any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World." This action represents a significant escalation in Washington's confrontation with Tehran, occurring after diplomatic initiatives failed to yield progress and hostilities recently resumed.

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We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait.