Trump Demands 20% Cargo Fee From Ships Passing Strait of Hormuz After Vowing to 'Take Over' Waterway

President Donald Trump has announced the reimposition of a naval blockade on Iran and is demanding a steep transit fee for any vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to multiple reports. The declaration, made via social media on July 13, 2026, comes just one day after Iran's Revolutionary Guard declared it would reblockade the strategic waterway, as reported by nikkei.com.

nikkei.comトランプ氏、イラン海上封鎖再開を宣言 ホルムズ海峡通過船舶に20%の「通航料」要求

Under the new policy, ships transiting the strait would be required to pay an amount equivalent to 20% of the value of their cargo, which Trump described as 'security guarantee compensation.' nikkei.com noted that if actually enforced, the demand would effectively function as a toll on one of the world's most critical oil and trade chokepoints.

"We will be the guardians of the strait."

Arab Newsトランプ氏、ホルムズ海峡の警備に対し米国は「報酬」を受けると発言

Arab News reported that Trump declared the United States would 'take over' the Strait of Hormuz and that Washington should receive 'compensation' for guarding it. The president's framing positions the U.S. as the legitimate protector of the waterway, even as the move risks escalating tensions with Iran.

The demand effectively amounts to a unilateral transit tax, raising questions about international maritime law and the response from other nations whose ships rely on the strait. Neither the United Nations nor key allies have yet commented publicly on the legality of imposing such a fee on commercial shipping in international waters.