Jerusalem Post/Middle East/Iran NewsAccording to a CNN report, leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar were among those who convinced Trump to abandon the proposed 20% fee on cargo.Follow us on GoogleUS President Donald Trump gestures as he participates in a bilateral meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi (not pictured) in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, July 14, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/Evan Vucci)ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFJULY 16, 2026 19:21US President Donald Trump’s Monday announcement that the US would charge a fee for commercial vessels to transit through the Strait of Hormuz triggered a flurry of activity among Gulf State leadership and White House aides attempting to dissuade him from implementing the plan, according to a CNN report on Tuesday.Several sources familiar with the matter told CNN that the US’s Gulf allies and many Trump aides were shocked when Trump, in a post on Truth Social, described the 20% fee on cargo as "necessary to do the job of providing safety and security” in the waterway.Trump advisors warned that Hormuz fees may undermine US goalsAccording to CNN, Trump’s advisors warned him that mandating the fees could undermine the US’s goals in the Strait of Hormuz and potentially validate, in Tehran’s eyes, Iran’s continued aggression towards commercial vessels. Despite objections from within the White House, Trump’s announcement prompted a scramble to outline the logistics of such a tolling system, according to CNN, with staff working to determine exactly who would pay the fees and how they would be collected.Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 18, 2026 (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)At the same time, leaders of US allies in the Gulf reportedly began trying to contact Trump to convince him to reverse the toll decision. According to CNN, appeals came from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar.One day after announcing the fee, Trump reversed his decision, stating that the proposed toll would be replaced by US-Gulf State investment deals, potentially with Gulf leadership that had advocated against the proposed fees.Follow us on Google