Trump Says U.S. Opposes Strait of Hormuz Tolls, Vows To Retrieve Iran Uranium

President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that the United States does not want tolls on the Strait of Hormuz and said, “We will get it. We don’t need it, we don’t want it. We’ll probably destroy it after we get it, but we’re not going to let them have it.”

Trump’s remarks came after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a directive that Iran’s near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad, according to two senior Iranian sources cited by Reuters.

Al-Monitor

The dispute over uranium and the Strait of Hormuz is described as a sticking point for talks on ending the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, with Israeli officials telling Reuters that Trump has assured Israel any peace deal must include a clause on the uranium stockpile leaving Iran.

NewsNation said U.S. Central Command confirmed that 94 vessels have now been redirected and four vessels have been disabled since the start of the naval blockade against Iran.

Trump also said he was prepared to wait a few days to “get the right answers” from Iran while warning of renewed attacks if it did not agree to a deal.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that any Iranian attempt to impose tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz would effectively destroy hopes for a diplomatic agreement, saying, “No one in the world is in favour of the tolling system. It can’t happen.”

Rubio told reporters that the president’s preference is “to do a good deal” and said, “There’s some good signs,” while adding, “I don’t want to be overly optimistic... So, let’s see what happens over the next few days.”

Anadolu Ajansı

In parallel, Anadolu Ajansı reported that Trump said the United States opposes Strait of Hormuz tolls and vowed that Iran will not be allowed to retain highly enriched uranium.

Anadolu Ajansı also quoted Trump saying, “We don’t want tolls. It’s an international waterway. They’re not charging tolls right now,” as he asserted the U.S. was monitoring reported negotiations between Iran and Oman over possible tolls.

Ynetnews said Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir is expected in Tehran on Thursday as part of efforts to advance negotiations, while Trump told CBS News he was willing to wait “a couple of days” for an Iranian answer.

Multiple outlets framed the uranium question as central to any agreement, with Trump insisting the United States will not let Iran have a nuclear weapon and saying, “Right now, we're negotiating, and we'll see, but we're going to get it one way or the other.”

The Times of Israel reported that Netanyahu said he will not consider the war over until enriched uranium is removed from Iran, Tehran ends its support for proxy terror groups, and its ballistic missile capabilities are eliminated.

The Straits Times said Trump vowed on May 21 that the United States will eventually recover and destroy Iran’s 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium to prevent nuclear weapons.

Anadolu Ajansı described Trump’s claim that the U.S. blockade has been “100% effective” and that “Nobody’s been able to get through. It’s like a steel wall,” linking the maritime pressure to the broader dispute.

NewsNation added that Iran said on Thursday it was reviewing Washington’s latest position on ending the war, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei telling Nour News, “We have received U.S. views and are reviewing them,” as the standoff continues.