Hours before the start of the renewed U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump once again changed course, announcing Tuesday evening that he was abandoning his plan to impose a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strait just one day after announcing the measure.
“Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Those Investments will be MASSIVE but, at the same time, extraordinarily good for them, and their future.”
“Oil is flowing like never before, thanks to the awesome Power of the United States Military,” Trump wrote. “The Strait of Hormuz is open to ALL Ship traffic except for Iran — and that is because of their lying, violent, malicious leadership, which is taking them down the path of TOTAL DESTRUCTION.”
US President Donald Trump announced the tariff on Monday and cancelled it on Tuesday
(Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
“We will therefore have a FULL Blockade, but only on Ships coming to and from Iranian ports, or carrying anything have to do with Iranian cargo,” Trump said. The renewed blockade was scheduled to begin Tuesday at 11 p.m.
Shortly after the president’s reversal and announcement, Kuwait’s military said it was “dealing with hostile aerial targets.” The General Staff said explosions could be heard as a result of interceptions. At the same time, an explosion was reported on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran.
On Monday Trump announced — as he often does in posts on his social media platform — that the United States would impose a 20% transit fee in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The strait is open, and will remain open, with or without Iran. We are reinstating the ‘blockade of Iran’ — so named because it stops only Tehran’s ships and customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will have fair and free access to the strait,” Trump wrote Monday.
He added: “The United States will henceforth be called the ‘Guardian of the Strait,’ but as such, and as a matter of fairness, it will receive reimbursement from all cargo transported through it for all costs necessary to carry out the mission of providing security and safety for this waterway in the world. The process and preparations will begin immediately.”