On a recent Monday, former U.S. President Donald Trump sparked immediate international backlash and sarcastic pushback from Iran after announcing he would renew the American economic blockade of Tehran and impose a 20 percent fee on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, framing the charge as payment for U.S. security guarantees in the strategic waterway.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi turned Trump’s own words against him in a viral social media post, opening with sarcastic agreement: “POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service.” Araghchi doubled down on Iran’s long-standing claim to regional security responsibility, adding, “Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER. 20% is of course too much. We will be fair.”
The announcement originated during a Monday morning interview on Fox News’ *Fox & Friends*, where Trump framed the United States as “the guardian angel of the strait” and insisted the U.S. deserved compensation for its security role. Shortly after the interview, Trump repeated the proposal in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, writing that “the USA 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.”
Policy analysts and critics have been quick to point out the significant contradictions in the Trump proposal, noting that the 20 percent toll is exponentially higher than the 1 to 2 percent fee Iran has previously sought for shipping through the strait. Many experts warn that Trump’s move has inadvertently strengthened Iran’s argument that it is entitled to charge its own fees for navigation security in the waterway.
The contradiction also directly undermines recent public statements from senior U.S. leadership. Just weeks before Trump’s announcement, current U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed long-standing U.S. policy to reporters, stating that “no country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway. That’s existing international law. That’s the way it is in international waterways all over the world, and that’s the way we expect it’ll be here. So I don’t think we have anybody to convince around here in that regard. I think all the countries in this region would agree with us.”
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical chokepoints for global energy trade, with roughly a fifth of all global oil consumption passing through its waters on a yearly basis. Disputes over navigation rights and security in the strait have been a core point of tension between the U.S. and Iran for decades.