President Donald Trump has reversed his position on imposing a toll fee on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, instead calling for trade and investment deals with Gulf countries. The change was reported by the Associated Press.
President Donald Trump has reversed his position on imposing a toll fee on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, instead calling for trade and investment deals with Gulf countries, as reported by the Associated Press. The shift was confirmed by The Zioneer on Tuesday evening: at 18:15 Jerusalem, Trump said after "very useful" talks with Mideast leaders he is replacing the proposed 20% fee with "massive" trade and investment deals from Gulf states, and at 18:17 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that the toll plan had been revoked and the waterway is open to all traffic except Iran.
This latest development follows a dizzying sequence of reversals from the White House. On Monday, July 13, beginning at 17:21 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported a rapid-fire series of announcements: Trump first said he would restore a siege on Iran, then formally announced the blockade on Truth Social, cited airstrikes as justification, clarified the Strait would remain open, introduced management fees, announced a 20% cargo fee, declared an Iran-only blockade, formally renewed the naval blockade, reversed course to proceed with the blockade without the toll, and finally revoked the toll plan entirely, stating the strait is open to all except Iran. Earlier on Tuesday, at 08:06 Jerusalem, Trump said Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait should reimburse the US for protecting the Strait.
As The Zioneer has reported, the rapid reversals have been accompanied by conflicting signals. Background context includes earlier reports from June and July, including Trump's claims of record vessel traffic and skepticism from Israeli journalist Barak Betesh (i24NEWS), who noted that Iran may have simply switched from a passage toll to an insurance fee under a U.S.-agreed formulation.
The White House has not issued a formal statement clarifying the final policy. The Associated Press report, along with the president's own statements Tuesday evening, is the latest indication that the administration is moving toward a diplomatic approach, favoring trade agreements over unilateral fees. However, the pattern of rapid reversals leaves the outcome uncertain.
12 developments
- StrongTrump says tankers are sailing out of Strait of Hormuz, contradicting Iranian reports
- StrongTrump: Strait of Hormuz is open and will remain open, with or without Iran
- ConfirmedTrump: Strait of Hormuz transit still requires Iranian coordination
- DevelopingReport: Trump demands immediate, non-phased reopening of Strait of Hormuz and end to naval blockade
Source and signal
- Internal intake