Trump Proposes Hormuz Tolls After Iran Seals Strategic Strait

The United States and Israel launched military strikes against a petrochemical complex in Bandar-e Mahshahr, Iran, on April 4, 2026. In response, Donald Trump authorized further military actions to neutralize Iranian capabilities, while the Government of Iran sealed the Strait of Hormuz and launched drone and missile strikes that forced the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet to withdraw from its Bahrain headquarters.

The blockade of the strait, which handles approximately 20% of global oil, has spiked energy prices and disrupted U.S. agricultural and technology supplies. To manage the crisis, Iran and Oman are drafting a protocol to supervise transit through the waterway. Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, stated that such coordination would ensure safe passage rather than impose restrictions.

President Trump has since announced his intention to impose tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, mirroring actions taken by Iran. This move, alongside proposed U.S. permits for seabed mining in international waters, challenges the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which neither the U.S. nor Iran has ratified. The escalation has strained alliances, with the UK and Spain closing airspaces and bases to U.S. aircraft involved in the conflict.