US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will soon take control of the Strait of Hormuz and charge a 20 percent fee on every ship passing through the strategic waterway.
According to the international news agency Reuters, Trump made these remarks during an interview with the American television program Fox & Friends.
Trump said that the United States is going to take control of the Strait of Hormuz and become its “guardian angel.” He added that America should be compensated for providing security in the region.
He further said that the United States expects to be paid for taking control of and protecting the Strait of Hormuz, adding that other nations are very wealthy and should not expect America to provide such services free of charge.
Speaking about Iran, Trump said that the United States had reached an agreement with Iran and that the matter had already been settled, but Iran violated the agreement. He claimed that Iran “always does this,” adding that the two sides have already had ten agreements and that the United States is now preparing to take very strong action against Iran.
The US president also said that Iran has suffered what he described as a “crushing defeat” in its conflict with the United States. He claimed that Iran’s navy, air force, and missile capabilities have been almost completely destroyed.
Later, Trump posted a message on his Truth Social account, stating that the Strait of Hormuz is open and will remain open with or without Iran. He said the United States is restoring an Iranian blockade under which only Iranian naval vessels or their buyers will be prevented from entering or leaving the strait, while all other countries will be allowed to use the waterway freely.
