U.S. President Donald Trump issued a public warning to Iran over its move to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. The step came after a "two-week truce" deal premised on keeping the strait open, signaling tensions are rising again over control of the waterway.
On the 9th (local time), President Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social, "There are reports that Iran is imposing tolls on tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz," adding, "They would be well advised not to do that." He continued, "If true, it would be best to stop right now."
Earlier, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and the Financial Times (FT) reported that Iran is considering imposing tolls on ships passing through the strait during the truce period and limiting traffic volume. According to those reports, the tolls would have to be paid in cryptocurrency or Chinese yuan, and for large oil tankers could reach up to $2 million (about 3 billion won).
Trump's remarks appear aimed at those reports. In particular, during a call the previous day with an ABC News reporter, Trump said "the United States and Iran are reviewing a plan to jointly collect tolls" and "are also considering a joint venture format," but he shifted to a hard tone in just one day.
White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing, "It is an idea proposed by the president and will be discussed over the next two weeks," but emphasized, "The top priority is to reopen the strait without any restrictions, regardless of whether tolls are imposed."
In another post the same day, Trump said, "Iran is doing a very poor job of allowing oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz," adding, "This is not the deal we made." He signaled displeasure not only over imposing tolls but also over moves to restrict ship traffic itself.
The tone contrasts with the White House's optimism on the first day of the truce, when it assessed that it had "confirmed privately that ship traffic through the strait has increased."
Ultimately, Trump's message appears to check Iran's bid to reassert control over the strait while pressuring Tehran for full reopening of the waterway ahead of the first U.S.-Iran meeting set for Apr. 11 in Islamabad, Pakistan.