Trump announces renewed blockade on Iranian ports, proposes Hormuz transit fees

WASHINGTON (MNTV) — President Donald Trump announced that the United States is reinstating a naval blockade on Iranian ports and intends to impose transit fees on commercial cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz, marking a major escalation in Washington’s maritime strategy as fighting with Iran continues.

In a statement posted on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said the United States would act as the “guardian” of the strategic waterway and charge a 20 percent fee on cargo transiting the strait to cover the costs of maintaining security in one of the world’s most important energy corridors.

Trump said Iranian ports would once again be subject to a US blockade, while commercial vessels from other countries would continue to enjoy access to the strait under American protection.

Iran immediately rejected the proposal, insisting that the United States has no authority to manage the waterway. A spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said Tehran would not allow Washington to interfere in the administration of the Strait of Hormuz under any circumstances.

The announcement came as US and Iranian forces exchanged a new wave of military strikes, raising fears of a broader regional conflict despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to restore negotiations.

The US military said it carried out dozens of strikes against targets inside Iran on Monday, while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced retaliatory attacks targeting US military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Oman. Authorities in Bahrain reported air raid alerts, Kuwait said its air defenses intercepted hostile aerial threats, and Jordan’s military said it shot down several Iranian missiles.

Iranian officials said recent US strikes killed additional civilians and military personnel, bringing the reported death toll inside Iran since hostilities resumed last week to at least 25, according to official announcements.

The Strait of Hormuz has become the focal point of the confrontation. Before the conflict erupted earlier this year, commercial shipping passed freely through the narrow waterway, which carries roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies. 

Since then, Iran has tightened control over maritime traffic, arguing that oversight of the strait provides strategic leverage against Washington.

Iranian military officials accused the United States of threatening global energy security by attempting to assert control over the waterway, warning that any cooperation by Gulf states with US military operations would be treated as an act of war.

The renewed confrontation has also placed US-Iran diplomacy under increasing strain. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the June memorandum of understanding that formed the basis for indirect negotiations was now “in crisis,” warning that Tehran could suspend its commitments if Washington failed to honor the agreement.

Despite the deteriorating security situation, Iranian officials said discussions with mediators from Qatar, Pakistan and Oman were continuing in an effort to prevent further escalation and revive negotiations.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern over the latest escalation, while regional mediators intensified efforts to bring both sides back to the negotiating table.

Analysts said the renewed military exchanges reflected both sides’ attempts to strengthen their bargaining positions before any future negotiations, warning that continued attacks could prolong instability in the Gulf and further disrupt global energy markets.