President Donald Trump said in a televised interview Monday that the United States will keep the Strait of Hormuz, run it, and become the guardian of the strategic waterway, expecting reimbursement for decades of unpaid protection. 'We will probably run it. We will become the guardian of the strait, and this time we will be reimbursed,' Trump said. The remarks expand on earlier statements earlier today that the US would charge a security fee and take control of the strait, as The Zioneer reported.
President Donald Trump stated in a televised interview Monday that the United States will 'keep the strait, run it,' and become its 'guardian,' with the expectation of being reimbursed for 50 years of unpaid protection. 'We protected it for 50 years without getting paid, now we’re going to make money,' Trump said. The remarks, reported at 15:43 Jerusalem, expand on a series of statements by Trump earlier today that progressively refined the administration's position on the strategic waterway.
The Zioneer first reported at 15:13 Jerusalem a sequence of statements from Trump, beginning with a declaration that the US is 'taking over' the Strait of Hormuz, followed by statements that the US would receive financial compensation, then 'taking over' again, then managing and guarding the strait, charging a fee, and ultimately charging a security fee — all within the same minute. The initial reports were attributed to a security-focused source; by 15:35 Jerusalem, Channel 12 (N12) reported Trump's security fee statement, and at 15:38 Jerusalem, The Jerusalem Post and i24NEWS cited Trump's claim of a deal with Iran that was violated by Tehran.
As The Zioneer reported on June 16, Trump said strong US leadership is the only way to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. On June 18, the White House announced that Trump would discuss NATO defense of the strait, with allied leaders prepared to join. And on July 5, Trump clarified that the US Gulf deployment is temporary, saying US forces will remain 'for a short while.' The Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil passes, has been a flashpoint in US-Iran tensions.
It remains unclear how the plan would be implemented, what international reaction it may provoke, and whether Trump's claim of a violated deal with Iran refers to a specific agreement.
4 developments
- DevelopingUS says Trump will discuss NATO defense of Strait of Hormuz, leaders ready to join effort
- DevelopingTrump: Strong US leadership is the only way to keep the Strait of Hormuz open
- StrongTrump says Strait of Hormuz is open, declines to elaborate out of respect for Lindsey Graham
- StrongTrump threatens to 'blow the sh*t out of' Iran over Strait of Hormuz
Source and signal
- Internal intake