(Image source from: Livemint.com)
US President Donald Trump, who is threatening to "get rid of" Iran if it does not relax its hold on the Strait of Hormuz, has mentioned that the United States might consider charging a fee for ships passing through these important waterways. The American leader answered a question about whether he would stop the conflict while Iran still imposes charges for transit, where a significant portion of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas usually flows. "What if we start charging fees? I would prefer that over letting them keep it," he replied. If the US moves forward with this idea, it would probably need to exert direct military control over Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean and mainly falls within Omani and Iranian waters.
Trump also claimed success in the current conflict, repeating his assertion that Iran has been defeated militarily, even with Iran continuing its drone and missile strikes throughout the Middle East and maintaining its blockade of Hormuz. "We are the winners. We have won, right? They are beaten in military terms. The only thing they have is the mindset of 'we might drop some mines in the water,'" he stated. "We have a plan to charge fees. " The waterway generally experiences around 120 ships passing through daily, as reported by shipping intelligence website Lloyd's List. Some news sources have indicated that Tehran might already be collecting a $2 million toll from certain vessels for passage through the strait. If Trump carries out this idea and sets a similar charge, the US could potentially generate about $240 million each day.
Trump's recent comments came as he delivered what he referred to as a "final" warning to Tehran to reopen the strait and accept Washington's conditions or risk being attacked, including strikes on Iran's civilian structures, like bridges and power stations. He informed the press that Iran could be targeted in one night, "and that night could be tomorrow," warning Tehran that it must reach an agreement by his deadline or face the aftermath. Trump had previously promised to uphold a deadline for Iran to accept a ceasefire deal by Tuesday night or else suffer significant attacks on vital facilities like power plants. Last month, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted on X, "The situation in the Strait of Hormuz will not return to what it was before the war."
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also suggested "new agreements" for managing the waterway after the war, which would ensure safe passage for vessels while safeguarding Iran's interests. "I think that after the conflict, the first step should be creating a new protocol for the Strait of Hormuz," he mentioned to Al Jazeera in March. "Of course, this should involve the nations that border both sides of the strait".
