Iran Claims Trump’s Brief Proposal Validates Its Demand for Strait of Hormuz Transit Fees

Iranian officials celebrated former U.S. President Donald Trump’s short-lived proposal to charge fees for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, viewing it as validation of their longstanding demand for transit payments. Trump had suggested that the U.S. would take control of the strategic waterway and impose a 20% fee on cargo passing through, to fund security operations. However, within a day, Trump retracted the plan amid concerns that such fees would double shipping costs.

Despite Trump’s swift reversal, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted that any country providing safe passage for commercial vessels in the Strait deserves compensation, though he called the proposed 20% rate excessive and promised Iran would be fair. Iranian commentators argued that Trump’s proposal implicitly recognized the legality of charging for security services in the Strait, challenging previous claims within Iran that such fees violate international law.

The Iranian military’s Khatam al-Anbiya Command rejected the notion that the U.S. could manage shipping traffic in the Strait, warning that any American attempt to direct vessels outside Iran’s designated routes without coordination would face strong resistance. Internationally, the proposal drew criticism from Britain, Australia, Brazil, and the International Maritime Organization, all opposing fees on international navigation through the Strait.

Within Iran, critics distinguished between Trump’s idea of security service fees and Iran’s demand for transit tolls, emphasizing the difference in framing. Nonetheless, Tehran continues to cite Trump’s brief proposal as evidence that even the U.S. acknowledged the principle behind Iran’s demand for payment to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Summary: Iran hailed Donald Trump’s brief plan to charge fees for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as validation of its own demands for transit payments, despite Trump quickly withdrawing the proposal. Iranian officials insist that countries ensuring safe passage deserve compensation, while warning the U.S. against controlling the Strait. The international community rejected the idea of fees on this vital shipping route.