Trump Reinstates Iran Blockade, Declares U.S. ‘Guardian of Hormuz,’ And Proposes 20% Cargo Fee

President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will reinstate its blockade of Iranian shipping while proposing a sweeping new plan to charge a 20% fee on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a move that would represent an unprecedented assertion of U.S. control over one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints.

In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump declared that the Strait of Hormuz “is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran,” following several days of escalating U.S. military strikes against Iranian targets.

“We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait,” Trump wrote.

Trump also announced that the United States would assume the title of “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT” and said all cargo transiting the waterway should pay the United States a 20% fee to cover the costs of providing security.

“The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’ 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,” Trump wrote. “The process and formation will begin immediately.”

The announcement follows four consecutive waves of U.S. strikes against Iranian military targets after Tehran resumed attacks on merchant shipping, effectively ending the June memorandum of understanding that had briefly halted hostilities and reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic.

On Sunday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had completed another round of strikes against Iranian air defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats. The operation marked the first reported combat use of U.S. one-way attack sea drones alongside aircraft, naval vessels and aerial drones.

The latest military action came less than a day after the Cyprus-flagged container ship GFS Galaxy was struck by a projectile while transiting east of Oman, leaving one crewmember missing and forcing the crew to abandon ship.

Trump’s latest statement also appeared to reject Iran’s efforts to control access to the strait. On Monday, Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said passage through the waterway was “currently unfeasible” because of recent U.S. military action and announced it was suspending the processing of transit permit applications until stability returned.

The competing declarations underscore the increasingly divergent positions of Washington and Tehran over the future governance of the strategic waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption and remains the world’s most important maritime oil transit route. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ships of all nations generally enjoy the right of transit passage through international straits used for international navigation, although the United States is not a party to the convention while recognizing many of its navigational provisions as customary international law.

It remains unclear how the administration intends to implement either the renewed blockade or the proposed 20% cargo reimbursement mechanism.

The White House has not released an executive order, legal framework, or guidance for shipowners, cargo interests, insurers or port authorities, and it is not immediately clear how such charges would be assessed or collected. For now, Trump’s announcement represents a significant policy declaration, but many operational details remain unresolved.

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