Trump Reignites US-Iran Showdown with Hormuz Blockade and 20% Shipping Fee Threat

President Donald Trump announced that the United States is reinstating a naval blockade targeting Iranian shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and said Washington would impose a 20% charge on cargo passing through the strategic waterway. The move came as fighting between the United States and Iran intensified, with both sides exchanging attacks on a scale not seen since the ceasefire announced in April.

Trump said the US would take on the role of security guarantor for the vital maritime route, declaring that Washington would be known as “The Guardian of the Hormuz Strait.” In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said the United States would be “reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the world.”

According to Trump, the renewed blockade would specifically target Iranian vessels and their customers, while other countries would continue to have access to the waterway. He said Iranian ports would again face restrictions but insisted that international shipping would otherwise remain open.

The Strait of Hormuz became a central point of confrontation after the war between Washington and Tehran began in February. Before the conflict, vessels could pass freely through the route, which carries a significant share of global oil and gas shipments. Iran later moved to restrict access and attempted to use control over the waterway as leverage against the United States.

Washington had previously rejected Tehran’s efforts to impose fees on ships using the strait, arguing that international law does not allow such charges. Trump’s latest announcement effectively reversed that position by saying the US would collect payments for maintaining security in the area.

The American president also warned Iran of further military action, accusing Tehran of violating the framework agreement reached in June to end the conflict. “It was a done deal and then they broke it. They always break it,” Trump said, adding that the United States would respond with force. “We’ve had 10 deals with these people – and so we’re just going to hit them very hard,” he said.

Iran rejected the US move and said Washington would not be allowed to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz. The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran’s top military command, said any attempt by American forces to organize shipping routes without coordination with Tehran would face resistance.

Mohammed Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said Tehran would defend the waterway and oppose any attempt to force Iranian vessels to pay for passage. “We defend it so that in the future, for the passage of our ships, we are not forced to pay tribute to the enemy,” Mokhber wrote on X.

The latest escalation was accompanied by a new wave of military strikes. The US Central Command said American forces hit dozens of Iranian targets using precision weapons, including air defense systems, coastal radar installations, missile and drone facilities, and small naval vessels.

CENTCOM said the operation included fighter aircraft, naval assets, aerial drones and, for the first time, one-way attack sea drones in combat. The command said three Corsair unmanned surface vessels struck a naval facility at Bandar Abbas, targeting infrastructure used to maintain Iranian ships.

Iranian officials reported casualties from the US attacks, saying strikes in southwestern Iran killed at least one person and injured four others. Iranian media also reported attacks in areas including Khuzestan province and near the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced retaliatory strikes against American-linked targets in several Gulf countries. The group said it had attacked US military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, while also claiming it destroyed radar systems in Oman.

Bahrain reported missile alerts and accused Iran of targeting civilians with missile and drone attacks. The Bahraini military said its air defenses intercepted several incoming threats and described the strikes as “heinous attacks with missiles and drones that target civilians.” Tehran, however, said its operations were directed only at US interests in the region.

Kuwait’s armed forces said they were responding to hostile aerial targets inside its airspace, while Jordan announced that it had intercepted four missiles launched from Iranian territory. Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, also reported repeated air raid warnings.

Iranian state media said the IRGC navy had fired warning shots at two ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, claiming the vessels were trying to pass through the area illegally. The incident further increased concerns over the security of commercial shipping in one of the world’s most important energy corridors.

European powers condemned Iran’s attacks on shipping and regional countries. The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain issued a joint statement saying they “condemn Iran’s heinous attacks on merchant shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and on countries in the region including Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan.” They called for the restoration of the ceasefire and a return to negotiations.

The United Kingdom also announced steps against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, designating the organization as a national security threat. Under the measure, supporters of the group could face legal consequences.

Despite the renewed fighting, diplomatic efforts continued. Iran said it would continue talks with mediators from Qatar, Pakistan and Oman in an attempt to prevent further escalation. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran would not continue following the June memorandum of understanding if Washington failed to meet its commitments.

“Each time that the other party has failed to meet its obligations, we did not uphold ours,” Baghaei said, adding that Iran would continue acting in the same way.

The agreement that formed the basis for negotiations and temporarily eased the US blockade was described by Iran as being in crisis. Tehran said it would ignore its commitments if the United States did the same, while mediators continued efforts to keep discussions alive.

The renewed confrontation has raised fears of further disruption to global energy markets. Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply as companies reassess risks. Oil prices also increased following the latest exchange of attacks, with markets reacting to concerns over possible interruptions to energy supplies.

The United Nations expressed concern over the worsening situation. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned about the escalation of military activity in the Gulf region, including Iranian attacks on ships and neighboring countries as well as US strikes on Iran.

His spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres had “deep concern at the serious escalation of renewed military confrontation in the Gulf region.” The UN called on all sides to reduce tensions and avoid actions that could lead to a wider regional conflict.

The International Maritime Organization also criticized the idea of charging mandatory fees for passage through international straits. The UN agency said it was awaiting more details on Trump’s announcement but maintained that it opposes tolls imposed simply for navigating international waterways.