US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the Strait of Hormuz is open to all countries except Iran, and that he has replaced a proposed 20% fee on ships passing through the strait with "massive" trade and investment deals from Gulf nations.
Trump wrote: "The Strait of Hormuz is open to ALL Ship traffic except for Iran — and that is because of their lying, violent, malicious leadership, which is taking them down the path of TOTAL DESTRUCTION. We will therefore have a FULL Blockade, but only on Ships coming to and from Iranian ports, or carrying anything have to do with Iranian cargo."
Shift from fee to investment deals
The president stated that the fee, proposed a day earlier, would be replaced by agreements with Gulf states. "Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States," Trump said.
He emphasized the scale of the investments, calling them "MASSIVE" and beneficial for both parties. "Those Investments will be MASSIVE but, at the same time, extraordinarily good for them, and their future."
Economic and job creation impact
Trump highlighted the potential for job creation, stating that the deals would lead to factories, plants, and equipment pouring into the US at historic levels, creating "additional millions of High Paying AMERICAN Jobs!" He added, "America is WINNING again, winning like never before."
The president also reiterated his stance on Iran, claiming the days of Iran killing hundreds of thousands of people, including 52,000 protestors, are over, and that "IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!"
