President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States should be “reimbursed” for protecting the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that wealthy Gulf nations should help cover the cost of securing one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.“I want to be reimbursed because we’re protecting a very rich portion of the world,” Trump told reporters from the Oval Office. “We’re spending money, and so what we’ve done is we are going to be reimbursed for protection.”
In a lengthy Truth Social post earlier on Monday, Trump declared that the Strait of Hormuz would remain open “with or without Iran” and announced what he called the reinstatement of “the Iranian blockade,” describing it as a measure aimed only at Iranian ships and their customers while allowing all other nations to transit freely.“The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘the guardians of the Hormuz Strait,’” Trump posted. “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.”The comments came as U.S. Central Command announced Monday evening that it had begun a third consecutive night of strikes against Iran at Trump’s direction.The latest military action follows days of heightened tensions after Iran fired on commercial vessels transiting the waterway.Trump’s proposal also appeared to conflict with statements made by senior administration officials in recent months opposing tolls or fees on international waterways.“No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council.Following that meeting, the U.S. and Gulf Arab nations issued a joint statement saying they “rejected any tolls, fees or attempts to assert control over the strait.”MOJTABA KHAMENEI VOWS REVENGE FOR HIS FATHER’S ASSASSINATIONVice President JD Vance echoed that position in mid-June while discussing efforts to reopen the waterway amid negotiations with Iran.“We believe international waterways should be free of tolls,” Vance said during a news conference.
