US President Donald Trump has announced a proposal to impose a 20 percent toll on all freight transiting the Strait of Hormuz, signaling a sharp escalation in American pressure on regional shipping lanes.
The announcement, made via Truth Social on Monday, frames the move as a mechanism to ensure the waterway remains open, regardless of Iranian cooperation.
The proposal comes amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf, where the US has recently reinstated a naval blockade on Iranian vessels.
This development follows earlier diplomatic maneuvers, including a rejected proposal by Oman to introduce service fees for transit, which was dismissed by the US and Gulf Cooperation Council nations.
Trump’s statement that the strait will remain open "with or without Iran" underscores a shift from diplomatic negotiation to unilateral economic coercion.
For global markets, the introduction of a direct toll on one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints introduces significant uncertainty.