Trump Clarifies Hormuz Deal, Says Only the U.S. May Levy Transit Fees

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a late Saturday clarification on the reported agreement with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, spelling out that no transit fees will be charged for 60 days during the ceasefire. He said that after the 60-day period, fees still would not be imposed unless they are collected by the United States and for its benefit.

Trump said the charge would be payment “for the services provided by the United States as the ‘guardian angel’ of Middle East countries.” He also described the money as compensation for “past, present and future costs” of America’s activity in the region.

The clarification came amid U.S. intelligence assessments that Iran has acquired the ability to block the strait on its own, along with reports that Tehran was preparing to close it. Washington officials acknowledged this as a strategic defeat, with one source saying the U.S. has effectively handed Iran control of the waterway, “a weapon stronger than any nuclear bomb.”

According to reports from Iran, the wording in the negotiations was changed to emphasize Iranian and Omani sovereignty over the strait. The new text says management of maritime navigation services in the Strait of Hormuz will be decided jointly by Iran and Oman, which would effectively authorize direct financial payments to Iran. Tehran is also reportedly planning to collect money from commercial vessels after the exemption period ends, through safety, navigation, and environmental services. The deal drew sharp criticism in Israel and among Jewish communities in the United States, where Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not withdraw from the security zones it captured, and a large billboard in Monsey called Trump “a donkey” in Yiddish.