Trump Says Hormuz Remains Free, Iran Officially Announces Strait Closure

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump said that ship navigation through the Strait of Hormuz would remain free of charge during a 60-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran, and after the period ended.

However, Trump did not rule out the possibility that the United States would impose a tax on ships passing through the strategic shipping lane if a permanent peace agreement with Iran failed to be reached within the deadline set.

"There will be no cost at the Strait of Hormuz during the 60-day ceasefire, and there will be no cost after the 60-day period ends," Trump wrote via the Truth Social platform, quoted by Antara, Sunday, June 21.

Trump added that if the peace negotiation process did not result in a final agreement, the United States could impose a shipping fee as compensation for the role and costs Washington had spent in maintaining security in the Middle East region.

The statement comes amid renewed tensions in the region after Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to alleged violations of a peace memorandum by the United States and continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

In its statement, the Iranian Khatam Al-Anbiya Center Headquarters assessed that the United States failed to implement the main clause of the agreement, which includes the cessation of conflict on all fronts, including Lebanon.

"Given the blatant violation of the US promise and the failure to implement the first clause of the memorandum of understanding to end the war, and in response to Israel's continued ceasefire violations in southern Lebanon, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is hereby announced," said the Iranian military statement quoted by the state-run IRIB media.

However, the claim of closure still raises information differences. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that commercial ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was still ongoing and even increased in recent days.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important shipping routes in the world as it is the main exit for oil exports from the Gulf region. Disruption to the route has the potential to trigger a rise in global energy prices as well as increase uncertainty in international financial markets.

Previously, the United States and Iran announced a framework for a peace agreement that included ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz during a 60-day negotiation period. However, recent developments show that the implementation of the agreement still faces major challenges on the ground, especially due to the renewed tensions in Lebanon.

Analysts assess that uncertainty regarding the status of the Strait of Hormuz will be one of the main factors affecting the movement of world oil prices and global market sentiment in the coming weeks.