Donald Trump has renewed threats to take control of the Strait of Hormuz, announcing the reimposition of a naval blockade on Iran and demanding a 20% tariff on all cargoes transiting the strategic waterway. In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared the strait open and suggested the US should be known as the “Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz.” The announcement came amid some of the heaviest drone and missile exchanges between the US and Iran since an interim deal aimed at ending the conflict.
US threats and Iranian response
Trump has made numerous claims and threats during the war with Iran, many of which have lacked grounding in reality. It remained unclear whether he had ordered the US Navy to force transit passage or how easily the navy could do so. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accused the US of jeopardizing global oil and gas supplies by interfering in the strait. IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebi stated that Washington had “seriously endangered the security of the world’s oil and gas supply and must be held accountable,” adding that Tehran would “continue to exercise sovereignty over and management of the strait of Hormuz.”
Missile and drone exchanges
On Monday, US and Iranian forces exchanged missile and drone attacks. The IRGC claimed to have targeted US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, destroyed radar systems in Oman, and hit fuel tanks and ammunition depots at Prince Hassan airbase in Jordan in retaliation for American strikes. The US military said it had struck Iranian air defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats on Sunday using aircraft, naval vessels, and drones. Loud explosions were heard on Iran’s Qeshm Island and in the port city of Bandar Abbas.
Trump’s call for reimbursement
In a phone interview on Fox News, Trump said the US would probably take over the strait and should be reimbursed for controlling the waterway. “We’re going to keep the strait, and we’ll probably run it. We’ll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we’ll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that,” he said. The exchanges marked an escalation in the pace and geographic scope of attacks over the past week after the near total collapse of an interim ceasefire.
Economic and diplomatic fallout
Brent crude oil prices rose more than 3% on Monday, though they remained below earlier peaks. The conflict has driven energy prices higher and fueled global inflation, a politically sensitive issue for Trump ahead of November’s US congressional elections. Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, posted on social media: “The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking.”
Spread of the conflict
The war has spread across the region, with Iran attacking US bases in multiple countries. Thousands have been killed, mainly in Iran and Lebanon. Iran’s strikes extended to Qatar, a mediator in ceasefire talks not attacked since April, and the UAE, which had not been targeted since early May. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, warned that “a return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences.”
Iran’s position on the strait
Iran condemned the latest US attacks, with the foreign ministry stating they had “rendered futile all efforts of the past few months to reduce tension and establish peace in the west Asian region.” It added that the US had caused “the return of insecurity in the strait of Hormuz and disruption of international commercial shipping.” Talks between Iran and Oman on Saturday, focused on managing the strait and transit routes, failed due to “overt and covert” US pressure on Muscat, according to Iran. Iran’s recently created Persian Gulf Strait Authority said passage through the strait was not possible due to illegal US military movements, and permits would be issued once stability is restored. The US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center reiterated that an expanded southern route near Oman was available for two-way traffic despite the severe security threat.
