USA02 July, 20263 min read
Donald Trump Rejects Iran Fees for Ships Passing Through Strait of Hormuz
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Trump rejected any fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. US-Iran memorandum calls for lifting the blockade and reopening Hormuz within 30 days.
Trump, Hormuz, and fees
U.S. President Donald Trump said the final agreement with Iran cannot include any fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, telling reporters at the White House, "Yes, this is unacceptable to me, because we have many other straits."
“Yes, this is unacceptable to me, because we have many other straits.”
Trump framed the issue as a "radical change" and said, "If you accept it here, you must accept it anywhere else," while the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran prohibits Iran from charging for passage through the Strait of Hormuz during the sixty-day negotiating period.
The Reuters account cited by Vietnam.vn also described an earlier position from Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who on June 17 said, "The Strait of Hormuz will not return to its state before the war."
Ghalibaf added that Iran has "sovereign rights over the Strait of Hormuz" and that "we will charge fees for services," while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on June 24, "I don't know of any country in the world that supports imposing fees for using this strait."
Blockade and competing claims
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the United States would begin a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz starting on Monday, with the operation set to begin on April 13 (24 Farvardin) and to "confirm the blockade of all maritime traffic entering Iran's ports or leaving them."
CENTCOM said the blockade would be carried out "impartially against ships of all nations" and stressed that U.S. military forces will not interfere with the freedom of navigation of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz "provided that these ships are bound for non-Iranian ports."
The same report said Trump ordered the U.S. Navy to "identify and stop any ship in international waters that has paid tolls to Iran," adding, "No one who pays illegal tolls will have safe passage in international waters."
In contrast, the IRGC announced that the Strait remains "fully under Iran's control" and is open to civilian ships, while military ships would face a 'decisive' response, and the IRGC stated via state broadcaster Press TV that "passage will be allowed, in accordance with specified regulations, solely for civilian ships."
Traffic rises as talks shift
Arabi21 said the Strait of Hormuz registered a record-high rise in maritime traffic, with at least 37 cargo ships transited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday according to Kpler data, while AXS Marine logged 42 transits on the same day. The report said current activity remains below typical peacetime levels, noting that about 120 ships pass through the strait daily under normal conditions, meaning the current traffic is roughly one third of the usual rate.
Arabi21 linked the uptick to the reopening of the strait last week after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the war, while it also cited IRNA quoting senior Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf saying the situation "will not return to what it was before the war" and that the waterway will remain "under Iran’s administration." The same account said Tehran and Muscat issued a joint statement affirming they are working toward an agreement to regulate the future management of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, including maritime services and the costs associated with them, as the United States on Monday announced a temporary lifting of sanctions on Iranian crude oil production, sale and delivery until August 21.