Trump threatens to control Hormuz Strait, levy 20% cargo fee
Iran rejected the claim, while two UEA tankers were attacked in Oman waters as tensions widened.
President Donald Trump said Washington would take over the role of guardian of the Hormuz Strait and levy a 20 percent fee on all cargo passing through the shipping lane. The statement came after Iran said it would close the Hormuz Strait amid an escalation in the two countries' conflict. Trump also wrote that the strait would remain open with or without Iran, and that the U.S. had again imposed a blockade on Tehran. Iran immediately rejected the remarks. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran remained the guardian of the Hormuz Strait, while a spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, warned the U.S. not to interfere in the management of the strait. On the ground, Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Pulau Kish, Qeshm, and Abu Musa. UEA also reported that two of its oil tankers were attacked in waters off Oman, killing one crew member and injuring eight others.