US Re-Imposes Naval Blockade Against Iran, Trump Wants to Apply 20 Percent Tariff

The deck of the patrol ship USS Tempest (PC2) in the Strait of Hormuz. (Wikimedia Commons/US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Indra Beaufort)

JAKARTA - President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States was reimposing a blockade on Iranian shipping in the Gulf and would ensure the Strait of Hormuz remained open after both sides launched missile and drone attacks.

The latest clashes follow Iran's announcement at the weekend it was closing the strait, raising further doubts about the viability of a temporary deal to halt the war in the Middle East and pushing oil prices higher.

"The Strait of Hormuz is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reimposing the IRAN BLOCKADE," Trump wrote on Truth Social, as reported by Al Arabiya (14/7).

"The United States, from now on, will be known as the 'GUARD OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT', but as such, and as a matter of JUSTICE, will be replaced by a loss, with a 20 percent tariff for all cargo sent," he added.

Meanwhile, Iran's top joint military command said the US had no role in determining the future of the vital shipping lane, stating in a statement on Monday that the US would not be allowed to interfere in the management of the strait.

The latest clashes, which broke out last week, mark an increase in both the speed and geographical reach of attacks over the past week, questioning the US-Iranian interim agreement signed last month to reopen the strait and halt hostilities while the two sides continue negotiations for another 60 days.

President Trump said he considered the ceasefire to be over, but remained open to further talks.

"We have an agreement. It was agreed, and then they broke it. They always break it. We have 10 agreements with these people, so we will attack them very hard," he said in a telephone interview on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program on Monday.

Previously, Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday posted on X, "The era of unilateral deals is OVER. We have told you: keep your promises or pay the price. Reality is knocking."

The war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28 has destabilized the Gulf and spread to the entire region, with Iran attacking US bases in various countries.

Control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil supplies, has become one of the main battlegrounds of the conflict.

Iran's effective blockade of the strait has pushed up energy prices and raised concerns about global inflation.

After announcing the closure of the strait on Saturday following what it described as unauthorized transit, Tehran said on Monday that it continued to control the strait.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement on Monday that the only way to restore regular shipping traffic through the strait was to end US military intervention in the waterway, warning "continued interference could lead to greater incidents in the global oil and gas sector."

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said Iran was seeking to establish a joint mechanism with Oman to manage traffic through the strait, adding that US pressure on Oman had hampered discussions.

Iran itself has previously sought to establish a permanent fee and permit system for vessels using the strait, which before the war carried around a fifth of global shipments of oil and liquefied natural gas.

The United States, which lifted a waiver that had exempted it from sanctions on Iranian crude sales last week after its previous attack on shipping, said its forces were deployed to safeguard freedom of navigation.

"Iran does not control the strait. Traffic flows," the US said.