President Donald Trump announced Monday that the United States will begin charging ships a fee for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, unveiling a sweeping new policy as U.S. forces launched another round of military strikes against Iranian targets.
The announcement represents a major escalation in the ongoing confrontation with Tehran, which has repeatedly sought to expand its influence over the strategic waterway responsible for carrying a significant share of the world’s oil supply.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump declared that the United States is now serving as the “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait” and argued that America should be fairly compensated for the enormous cost of protecting one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.
