DONALD Trump has declared he will restart the US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and establish a 20 per cent cargo toll on all Iranian vessels.
The US president’s latest attempt to bring Tehran to the negotiating table and end the war comes after a series of renewed tit-for-tat strikes.
Trump has said he will restart the US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz Credit: Reuters
Donald Trump has said he will restart the US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz Credit: Getty
The announcement comes after Iran declared last weekend it was closing the key waterway – plunging its fate into doubt once again and sending oil prices soaring.
Trump said on Truth Social today: “The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran.
“We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving.”
He added: “All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait.
“The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’ but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World.”
Trump said this process would “begin immediately”.
It comes amid a series of fresh tit-for-tat strikes between Iran and the US which kicked off last week.
Both sides have accused each other of breaking the ceasefire and Tehran has declared ownership of the Strait of Hormuz.
Last week, Trump declared the temporary peace deal – the memorandum of understanding – was “over” as Washington and Tehran launched a series of attacks on each other.
The mullah regime has unleashed a volley of strikes on Gulf Arab states in response to US attacks – including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman.
Trump slammed “sick” Iran for “playing dirty” after Tehran hit 85 American military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in overnight strikes on July 6.
Earlier today, the US said it had attacked Iran with sea-borne suicide drones for the first time in the war.
launched across the country over Sunday night before Tehran hit back by targeting American bases in Bahrain and .
Over Saturday night, Trump – much more than the “dozens” of strikes launched last night.
US Central Command (Centcom) said in the early hours of Monday it had blitzed “dozens of targets at multiple locations” to “degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international shipping flowing through the Strait of Hormuz”.
It also said American forces had used “one-way attack sea for the first time”.
Fighter aircraft, naval vessels and one-way attack aerial drones were also used in the overnight assault.
Centcom shared footage of US ships and jets firing missiles towards military targets across Iran.
The US president also revealed last week he was fearing for his life – in part due to the threats being chanted in Tehran during Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral.
Mourners at the late tyrant’s ceremony chanted “Death to America!” and called for the president to be killed.
Huge crowds chanted: “I swear by the blood of the supreme leader, Trump, we will kill you!”
The escalating cycle of violence has left to end the war in tatters.
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Eze Chidiebere Paul
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