Trump reimposes naval blockade on Iran amid escalating clashes in Hormuz
· Axios
President Trump announced on Monday that the U.S. is reinstating the naval blockade on Iran and will prevent any ships from leaving or entering Iranian ports.
- He also claimed the U.S. would be "reimbursed" at a rate of 20% for securing safe passage for cargo ships, though the details and seriousness of the initiative were not immediately clear.
Why it matters: The blockade — a response to renewed clashes between the U.S. and Iran in recent days — threatens to dramatically escalate tensions in the strait and change the economics of shipping energy and materials in the Middle East.
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- It marks a further unraveling of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU), which Trump declared "over" last week after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps resumed attacks on commercial ships.
Driving the news: After a day of negotiations with regional mediators on Saturday, the IRGC attacked another ship and declared the strait "closed until further notice" — triggering two round of U.S. strikes on Iran on Saturday and Sunday.
- A U.S. defense official said the U.S. military has plans for several days of additional strikes in the Hormuz area and on Iran's southern coastline aimed at degrading the IRGC's ability attack ships.
- The U.S. defense official claimed the southern route in the strait of Hormuz is still open, with at least 20 ships transiting through in coordination with the U.S. and several others without coordination.
What he's saying: "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. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
- He added that the U.S. "will be, from this point forward, known as 'THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT'" and will ask to be "reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped" in exchange for providing security.
- "The process and formation will begin immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump wrote.
The other side: Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen TV network, which is affiliated with the pro-Iranian "Axis of Resistance," quoted an Iranian security official who claimed Iran still controls the strait and will escalate its response if the U.S. continues its "provocative behavior."
- "The security and administration of the Strait of Hormuz are determined by Iran's will — not by Trump's tweets and not by the presence of warships," the Iranian official told Al-Mayadeen.
State of play: The renewed naval blockade has not yet come into effect due to a legal requirement to notify ship owners 24 hours in advance. A U.S. official said CENTCOM will announce the specific timing later on Monday.
- A senior Gulf source told Axios the U.S. hasn't discussed the issue of possible tolls for securing the Strait of Hormuz with its allies in the region.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.