Trump seeks 20% cargo fee for U.S. protection in Hormuz
The proposal would charge shippers for U.S. naval security in the Strait of Hormuz as Iran presses its own toll demands.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
President Donald Trump said the United States will seek reimbursement from cargo moving through the Strait of Hormuz, raising the cost of using one of the world’s most contested shipping routes. The proposal matters because the waterway has become a military flashpoint since the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, with both Washington and Tehran trying to control how vessels pass.
Trump said Monday on social media that the United States would be known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT” and would be repaid at “the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped” for costs tied to providing security in the area. He said work on the “process and formation” of the plan would start immediately.
Fortune reported that Trump also announced the United States would reimpose a naval blockade on Iran. Oil prices rose 6% after the announcement, according to Fortune, following a weekend of clashes in the Persian Gulf as the two sides tried to assert control over the strait.
A contested passage
Iran used missiles and drones at the start of the war to shut off the strait, Fortune reported. Tehran demanded that ships obtain permission and pay a toll to use an approved route near the Iranian coastline.
Since the ceasefire, Iran has continued to use weapons and the threat of further strikes to enforce its position, according to Fortune. The report said Iran has also sought to keep vessels from using a separate route along the Omani coast.
The United States had previously pushed Iran to restore toll-free movement through the strait and defended the Omani route from Iranian attacks, Fortune reported. U.S. Navy forces also guided commercial vessels through the area without charging for the service.
Central Command said U.S. forces have helped more than 800 commercial ships and 400 million barrels of crude oil move through the strait since early May. Fortune reported that U.S. military power gives Washington the ability to keep open a lane that bypasses Iran’s preferred route.
Traffic shifts under threat
Efforts to restore full free passage have weakened as neither Washington nor Tehran has backed down, according to Fortune. Oman has reportedly drafted a plan that would split traffic between two separately controlled routes: a southern corridor through Omani waters and a northern corridor through Iranian waters.
U.S. protection has not stopped every Iranian projectile aimed at commercial ships on the route Washington is defending, Fortune reported. The report said the United States also has not deterred Iran from launching additional attacks.
Traffic through the Omani channel has nearly vanished, according to Kpler data cited by Fortune, while use of Iran’s corridor and “dark” routes has increased. Fortune reported that some vessels may still be using the Omani route with transponders turned off, often at night, to reduce the chance of Iranian detection.
Trump’s proposed 20% levy would add a new cost for shippers already weighing the risk of Iranian attacks, insurance costs and route availability. Fortune reported that commercial fleets and insurers will play a central role in determining whether the strait functions as open despite the competing U.S. and Iranian claims.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.