Full Breakdown
Trump Reinstates Blockade of Iranian Vessels and Proposes 20 % Cargo Fee in the Strait of Hormuz
7/14/2026, 1:50:47 AM
Reinstated Blockade and Proposed Fee
On 13 July 2026 President Donald Trump announced that the United States would “re-impose THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE” on ships belonging to Iran and its customers in the Strait of Hormuz. He added that the United States would act as “the guardian of the Hormuz Strait” and would be “reimbursed, at the rate of 20 % on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World.” The policy was declared on Truth Social and reiterated in a Fox & Friends interview, with implementation slated to begin immediately.
Background and Escalation
The war that began on 28 February 2026 between the United States (and Israel) and Iran has repeatedly shifted control of the narrow waterway that carries roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments. An interim memorandum of understanding signed on 17 June 2026 temporarily lifted the U.S. naval blockade and required both sides to keep the strait open and toll-free for a 60-day negotiation window. Renewed missile and drone exchanges in the first week of July—U.S. strikes on Iranian air-defence sites and Iranian attacks on U.S. bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Oman—prompted Trump to declare the cease-fire “over” and to resume the blockade.
Ship Traffic and Market Data
- Kpler data showed only six vessels transited the strait on 12 July, the lowest level in five weeks; a separate Reuters count reported fourteen ships, a 60 % drop from the previous week’s 37.
- Of the six observed crossings, two were large tankers (the VLCC *Humanity* with 2 million barrels of Iranian crude and the tanker *Capetan Andreas* with ? 500,000 bbl of Kuwaiti products); the remaining vessels were empty tankers heading to load oil.
- More than 9.2 million barrels of Iranian crude had passed through the strait since the cease-fire was announced on 8 July, according to Kpler.
- Brent crude rose 4 %–9 % on 13 July, reaching $79 – $83 per barrel, while U.S. gasoline prices ticked up by roughly 2 cents per gallon.
Strategic Importance
The strait remains a critical conduit for global energy markets; any prolonged disruption threatens supply chains, raises freight and insurance costs, and can amplify inflationary pressures worldwide. The United States has been escorting vessels along a southern corridor hugging Omani waters, a route Iran repeatedly attacks, prompting many ship owners to turn off AIS transponders (“dark fleet”) to avoid detection.
Official Statements & Responses
- U.S. Central Command: “The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for global trade. Iran does not control it.” The command said its forces had struck “dozens of targets” in Iran, including air-defence systems and missile sites.
- Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps: “The Strait of Hormuz is our territory, and we will not allow a rogue and child-killing army from the other side of the world to continue its illegal interference in it.”
- Mohammed Mokhber, adviser to Iran’s supreme leader: “We defend it so that in the future, for the passage of our ships, we are not forced to pay tribute to the enemy!”
- Kaja Kallas, EU top diplomat: “Freedom of navigation has to be respected.”
- Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State: “There isn’t a nation on Earth that supports having to pay money to go through the straits.”
- International Maritime Organization (IMO) spokesperson: “We have always been consistent on our stance on fees – IMO stands firmly against charging fees for passage through straits used for international navigation.”
Criticism & Opposition
Legal scholars and maritime experts argue that the 20 % levy violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which guarantees freedom of navigation in international straits. The IMO and several Gulf states have publicly rejected the fee, warning that mandatory tolls lack a legal basis. U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Rubio, have also opposed the proposal, citing potential blow-back from allies and the risk of further destabilizing oil markets.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Traffic counts differ: Reuters cites six vessels, while CNBC reports fourteen for the same day.
- Legal status of the fee remains unsettled; Iran claims the interim MoU permits it to charge tolls, whereas the United States and the IMO contend that international law prohibits such charges.
- Details on how the 20 % reimbursement would be calculated, collected, or enforced have not been disclosed, leaving commercial shippers uncertain about compliance mechanisms.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE,” — Donald Trump, President, United States
- “be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the world” — Donald Trump
- “The Strait of Hormuz is our territory, and we will not allow a rogue and child-killing army from the other side of the world to continue its illegal interference in it,” — Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran
- “Freedom of navigation has to be respected,” — Kaja Kallas, European Union
- “There isn't a nation on earth that supports having to pay money to go through the straits,” — Marco Rubio, United States Secretary of State
- “We have always been consistent on our stance on fees – IMO stands firmly against charging fees for passage through straits used for international navigation,” — IMO spokesperson
