President Donald Trump issued a formal statement reinstating the US naval blockade on Iran, now termed the 'Iranian blockade,' which restricts only Iranian ships and customers. The United States adopts the title 'Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz' and will levy a 20% fee on all cargo transiting the strait to cover security costs, effective immediately.
President Donald Trump issued a formal statement at 17:28 Jerusalem on Monday, declaring the United States the "Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz" and officially limiting the reinstated naval blockade to Iranian vessels. The statement, which also imposes a 20% fee on all cargo transiting the strait, clarifies that the blockade is targeted—termed the "Iranian blockade"—and that the strait remains open to all other nations.
The announcement followed a rapid sequence of reports earlier in the evening. At 17:18 Jerusalem, Israeli journalist Barak Ravid (N12) first reported the reinstatement of the naval blockade. The Zioneer then published successive updates: at 17:21, adding that the US would adopt the "Guardian of the Strait" title; at 17:24, quoting Trump saying the strait is open "with or without Iran"; and at 17:25, detailing the 20% cargo fee and the declaration that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding is dead. The formal statement at 17:28 provided the official name and scope, confirming the targeted nature of the blockade.
The measure comes amid a backdrop of escalating US-Iran tensions over the Strait of Hormuz. As The Zioneer has reported, Trump threatened to "blow the sh*t out of" Iran over the strait on June 22, warned Iran it would "not have a country" if it closed the strait on June 21, and earlier this month indicated a potential 60-day ceasefire deal to reopen the strait without tolls (June 12). The new blockade and fee mark a sharp departure from those diplomatic signals.
It remains unclear how international shipping firms and other nations will respond to the 20% fee, and whether Iran will attempt to challenge the blockade. The statement did not specify enforcement mechanisms or consequences for non-compliance.
9 developments
- StrongTrump declares dramatic renewal of US naval blockade on Strait of Hormuz; military prepares to enforce today
- StrongUS military announces new wave of strikes against Iranian forces in Strait of Hormuz
- ConfirmedUS military maintains blockade on Iranian ports until Friday deal signing; Strait of Hormuz remains closed
- DevelopingIranian Armed Forces confirm they are enforcing Strait of Hormuz blockade after explosions, Tasnim reports
Source and signal
- Internal intake