Trump declares no tolls at Strait of Hormuz unless collected by US

U.S. President Donald Trump declared that there will be no tolls at the Strait of Hormuz unless the fees are collected by the United States itself. The statement, posted on Truth Social Saturday afternoon, is the latest sign that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the U.S. and Iran may be unraveling.

“There will be NO TOLLS at the Strait of Hormuz for the 60-day ceasefire period, and there will be NO TOLLS after those 60 days,” Trump wrote, “unless those tolls are imposed and collected by the United States for the United States.”

Since the U.S. and Israel launched their campaign against Iran on February 28, Iran has used the Strait of Hormuz as a pressure point, shutting down the strategic waterway. Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement signed Wednesday, the strait was reopened for a temporary 60-day period, during which Iran may not collect tolls from passing vessels.

However, on Saturday, Iran’s Joint Military Command announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, citing a “clear violation” of commitments in the MOU. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees military operations in the region, rejected the announcement and affirmed that traffic continued to transit the strait.

The Strait of Hormuz has long been a flashpoint in the U.S.-Iran conflict. Nearly 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas and about 30% of global fertilizer trade pass through the waterway. Its closure has driven up global fuel prices and impacted agricultural sectors worldwide.

Trump responded to Iran’s control of the strait by imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports in the region. That blockade was lifted under Wednesday’s MOU, which also paused hostilities on all fronts of the regional conflict, including in Lebanon.

The MOU is not a long-term agreement. It serves as a starting point for negotiations on key issues, including the future of Iran’s nuclear program. Many differences remain unresolved in the MOU. There is no clause stating that strait tolls cannot be collected after the 60-day period ends.

Before the war, there were no tolls at the Strait of Hormuz. Trump once told The New York Times in an interview that the waterway should be “free forever.” But he appeared to shift his position in Saturday’s post, once again raising the possibility of U.S.-collected tolls at the strait while barring Iran from doing so.

Trump explained that such a toll would reimburse the U.S. “for services rendered as the Guardian Angel of Middle Eastern nations for the purpose of reimbursement of past, present, and future costs.” He had also discussed the idea with reporters in April: “Why aren’t we collecting tolls? I’d rather do it than let them (Iran) collect. Why not? We’re the winners.”

There is no indication that Trump’s plan has been formally presented to regional countries. Meanwhile, Iranian officials have repeatedly said they do not rule out collecting tolls at the strait, calling it a matter of sovereignty and regional negotiation. Further discussions on the issue are expected in the coming weeks.

Those negotiations, however, are threatened by ongoing Israeli military operations in Lebanon. Iran said its closure of the strait Saturday was a result of renewed Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon that killed dozens after the ceasefire was announced. Iranian officials also argued that any upcoming talks should focus on the proper implementation of the original MOU.

Pakistan, the lead mediator between the U.S. and Iran, said follow-up negotiations were expected to begin Sunday in Switzerland. The Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed that the Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, had arrived. On the U.S. side, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Vice President JD Vance were expected to attend. Vance departed for Switzerland late Saturday.