Trump demands 20% toll on Strait of Hormuz cargo, renews blockade

President Donald Trump on Monday declared that the United States would reassert control over the Strait of Hormuz, demanding a 20% reimbursement on cargo transiting the waterway and positioning America as the strait's protector, according to Reuters. The announcement marks a sharp escalation following weeks of renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran after the collapse of a June ceasefire.reuters

Blockade Returns After Deal Unravels

The move effectively reinstates the naval blockade that was first imposed in April after peace talks in Pakistan failed, and which was lifted under a memorandum of understanding signed June 17 at the Palace of Versailles. That agreement committed both sides to a 60-day negotiation period on Iran's nuclear program while reopening the strait to toll-free commercial traffic.cbsnews+3

But the deal began fraying almost immediately. Iran reasserted its right to control shipping and signaled plans to charge vessels fees in coordination with Oman. By early July, Trump declared the MOU "over" after Iran attacked commercial vessels in the strait. The latest rhetoric builds on Trump's June 20 warning that the U.S. would impose tolls as "reimbursement" for "services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East" if diplomacy failed.washingtonexaminer+6

Over 300 Targets Struck This Week

Trump's announcement comes alongside an intense week of U.S. military operations. CENTCOM reported completing three rounds of strikes against Iran between July 7 and July 11, hitting more than 300 military targets including missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition storage facilities, and coastal surveillance positions. The strikes were ordered in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping, with CENTCOM stating the goal was to "degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels freely transiting the strait".centcom+2

Iran's Revolutionary Guard responded by targeting 85 U.S. military installations across Bahrain and Kuwait.cnn

Diplomatic Channels Remain Open

Despite the escalation, both sides have signaled willingness to continue talking. Trump said Friday that Iran had requested continued negotiations, though Tehran's foreign ministry denied making such a request, saying only that it had accepted a Qatari mediation effort. The 60-day window under the original MOU — which would have expired in mid-August — now appears moot, with the strait once again a contested zone between Iranian coastal forces and the U.S. Navy.aljazeera