President Trump said Wednesday that Iran informed the United States it will not charge tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, dismissing contrary reports as 'fake news.' He added that the US has not paid Iran any money and will instead use frozen Iranian funds to purchase American food for Iran. Trump warned that if the information proves false, negotiations with Tehran will end immediately.
President Trump posted Wednesday afternoon on his Truth Social platform that Iran has notified the United States it will not charge any tolls, insurance fees, or other payments on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. He called contrary media reports 'fake news' and warned that if the claim proves false, 'the negotiations will end immediately.' Trump also denied transferring funds to Tehran, saying a portion of frozen Iranian assets under full American control will be released solely to purchase U.S. agricultural goods for Iran.
This statement, published at 14:40 Jerusalem, marks the third iteration of the same basic claim by Trump within minutes. The first version, also at 14:40, was initially reported by N12; the second added the denial of fund transfers; the third, identical in substance, reinforces the warning. The thread's antecedents trace a prolonged dispute: on Sat Jun 13, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman explicitly confirmed toll collection continues, contradicting Trump directly. On Mon Jun 15, journalist Barak Betesh (i24NEWS) reported that Iran merely switched to an insurance fee — a formulation he said was tacitly agreed with the Americans. On Sat Jun 20, Trump again denied tolls while an Iranian official contradicted him the same day; on Sun Jun 21, an Iranian negotiating team member declared 'you will pay at Hormuz — that is final.'
As The Zioneer reported on Tue Jun 23, Trump detailed a broader nuclear agreement framework including permanent inspections and a U.S.-controlled escrow for food purchases — consistent with today's asset-release plan. The president's earlier denial of a $300 billion payment to Iran, reported on Thu Jun 18, aligns with today's repeated denial of any fund transfer.
The veracity of Iran's no-toll commitment remains unverified by any independent source. Iranian officials have consistently asserted the opposite, and no neutral confirmation of a changed Iranian policy has emerged. Trump's threat to end negotiations if the claim is false introduces a high-stakes deadline but does not resolve the factual dispute.
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