President Donald Trump announced Monday that the United States will begin charging commercial cargo moving through the Strait of Hormuz, arguing the world should help pay for the cost of securing one of the globe’s busiest and most strategically important shipping lanes.
In a TRUTH Social post, Trump declared the United States would officially become the “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait” and said implementation of the new policy would begin immediately.
“The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran,” Trump wrote.
Alongside the new transit fee, Trump announced the return of the U.S. blockade targeting Iran’s maritime commerce, saying the restrictions would apply only to Iranian vessels and their customers while other nations would retain unrestricted access.
“We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving,” Trump wrote. “All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait.”
Trump said the United States deserves compensation for maintaining security in the region after months of military operations and heightened tensions with Iran.
“The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’” he wrote. “But as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will 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 framework for collecting the new fee will begin “immediately.”
The announcement comes as the administration continues military operations against Iranian targets after Trump declared over the weekend that the previous ceasefire arrangement with Tehran was no longer in effect.
"We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving… The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,”" – President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/9iKOWCPq06
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 13, 2026
