U.S. announces 20% toll on ships using Hormuz; what Trump’s Iranian blockade means
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a reinstated blockade on Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz while imposing a 20% toll on other vessels for safe passage. This move follows an Iranian attack on a container ship and aims to secure the vital waterway.
Why it matters
The blockade significantly impacts global energy supply chains and escalates tensions between the U.S. and Iran, affecting global commodity prices.
US President Donald Trump on Monday (July 13, 2026) said the United States was “reinstating” a blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and, in a move that appeared to mark a shift in policy, would charge other vessels for safe passage.
The announcement followed an Iranian attack on a container vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday (July 12, 2026). Iran has maintained control over the strategic route for international oil and gas shipments since the conflict involving the United States and Israel began.
Mr. Trump’s remarks escalated a growing dispute between Washington and Tehran over the status of the vital shipping route at the centre of renewed tensions between the two countries.
“We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE,” Mr. Trump said in a social media post. “All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait.”
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