President Donald Trump posted Wednesday afternoon that Iran has informed the United States it does not charge passage fees or any other payments from vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, contrary to what he called misleading 'fake news' reports. Trump added that if the information is wrong, negotiations will end immediately. He also stated that the US has not transferred funds to Iran, and that a portion of frozen Iranian funds under full US control will be released solely to purchase American agricultural goods for Iran.
President Donald Trump posted Wednesday afternoon (14:42 Jerusalem) that Iran has informed the United States it does not charge passage fees, insurance costs, or any other payments from vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, contrary to what he called misleading 'fake news' reports. Trump added that if the information is wrong, negotiations will end immediately. He also stated that the US has not transferred funds to Iran, and that a portion of frozen Iranian assets under full US control will be released solely for purchasing American agricultural goods for Iran.
This latest post — published at 14:42, one minute after The Zioneer's initial wire at 14:41 — directly addresses weeks of conflicting claims about the strategic waterway and the financial arrangements of the US-Iran framework. As reported by The Zioneer at 14:40 (v.1) and updated immediately, Trump's denial of fund transfers and his description of a restricted agricultural escrow are new clarifications not present in the initial version of his statement. The president has repeatedly denied financial flows to Tehran: on June 18 he dismissed a reported $300 billion payment as 'fake news.' The administration's position on Hormuz has been contested by Iranian officials: on June 13, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said toll collection would continue; journalist Barak Betesh (i24NEWS) noted on June 15 that Iran had shifted from a passage fee to an insurance fee; and on June 21, an Iranian negotiating team member warned 'you will pay at Hormuz — that is final.' Trump's latest post reiterates the claim of no tolls, without addressing those earlier contradictions.
As The Zioneer reported on June 23, Trump detailed an agreement that includes permanent nuclear inspections and a U.S.-controlled escrow for food purchases. A June 20 story noted U.S. officials disputed reports of a functional IRGC blockade. The evolving source landscape shows the claim shifting from a single Israeli media outlet (N12) to the president's own platform, but remains an assertion from the White House.
No independent confirmation of Trump's characterization of Iran's position, nor of the specific escrow mechanism, has been published. Iranian officials have not yet commented on the president's latest post.
4 developments
- DevelopingIran says it will not collect Strait of Hormuz tolls for 60 days
- StrongIranian Foreign Ministry spokesman: toll collection in Strait of Hormuz continues, contradicting Trump
- StrongTrump: Strait of Hormuz fully open by Friday, Iran will not get nuclear weapons
- DevelopingBarak Betesh (i24NEWS) scrutinizes Trump’s claim on toll-free Hormuz, noting Iran switched to insurance fee instead
Source and signal
- Internal intake