Trump says US will be “guardians” of Hormuz and will charge fees

The Republican president said in a message on the Truth Social network that he will once again impose a naval blockade on Iranian ports, amid the return of fighting between the two countries.

“The Strait of Hormuz is OPEN and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating the IRAN BLOCKADE, so called because it only prevents the entry and exit of Iranian ships or customers. All other countries will have free and unrestricted use of the strait,” Trump wrote, in his familiar all-caps style.

“The USA will, from this moment on, be known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE STRAIT OF ORMUZ’, but as such, and for the sake of JUSTICE, it will be reimbursed with a 20% tax on all cargo transported, for all costs necessary to guarantee the security of this very unstable region of the world. The process and formation (of this system) will begin immediately”, added the American president.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas passed before the war, has replaced Iran’s nuclear program as the focus of the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran.

Last week, angered by Iran’s attacks on commercial ships transiting sea routes in Hormuz not authorized by the regime, Trump announced the end of the ceasefire in the war that began in February, which generated a new escalation in the conflict after exchanges of specific attacks in previous weeks.

Before Monday’s announcement, the United States had been opposing any military control and toll collection by Iran in the strait.