Trump demands Iran stop charging ships in Strait of Hormuz
Donald Trump, President of the US (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump issued a harsh warning to Tehran. The reason was reports that Iran had begun charging tankers a fee to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Read also: Trump-Iran Hormuz toll plan triggers backlash from Greece and UN
As is his custom, Trump expressed his outrage on his Truth Social platform, and his reaction was emotional.
He wrote that there were reports that Iran was charging fees to tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz and warned that they should not be doing so and, if they were, they should stop immediately.
Dollar per barrel: Iran wants money in cryptocurrency
WSJ notes that Tehran's demands have a specific price. The Iranian authorities seek to collect a toll for the safe passage of vessels, and this has become a condition for the current pause in hostilities.
Iran's plan appears to be a large-scale levy on oil giants. They demand money for every barrel on board. The fee is equivalent to 1 dollar per barrel of oil, payable exclusively in cryptocurrency.
How Trump might respond
The US is set on radical measures, and Trump has demanded that Iran immediately open the waterway for free navigation. Otherwise, Washington will return to the use of force.
This refers to possible strikes on infrastructure facilities. The president stressed that no agreements on paid transit exist.
He wrote in another post that Iran was allowing oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz very badly and, some would say, shamefully, and that they had no such deal.
Trump added that if the strait is not unblocked, Iran should prepare for the resumption of military actions.
Situation around the Strait of Hormuz
Tehran has formally opened the Strait of Hormuz, but has in fact turned it into a controlled corridor. Now, any vessel (including American ones) must contact Iranian authorities to obtain permission.
Meanwhile, the US is demanding concrete commitments from its European allies regarding the security of the Strait of Hormuz after the cessation of hostilities in Iran. Donald Trump has already met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Consultations have also taken place at the Pentagon and the State Department.
Germany, for its part, is already ready to defend the Strait of Hormuz. However, Chancellor Friedrich Merz demands a document for this – an international UN mandate.
