Trump Warns "U.S. Will Impose Strait of Hormuz Passage Fees Without Agreement"...Strong Pressure on Iran

Warning Issued Over Iran's Remarks on Maintaining Uranium Enrichment Rights

U.S. President Donald Trump has ramped up pressure on Iran, raising the possibility of both military action and imposing passage fees if Iran attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Fox News on June 21 (local time), President Trump had a phone conversation lasting over 20 minutes with reporter Trey Yingst, during which he stated, "If necessary, the United States will take control of the Strait of Hormuz in the future, and if Iran does not agree, we will impose passage fees."

President Trump described this as the United States playing the role of a "guardian angel" in the Strait of Hormuz and the Middle East. He further explained that ultimately, the United States envisions collecting passage fees equivalent to 20% of the oil that passes through the strait.

He also said, "I spoke with Iranian officials last night," and added, "I told them that if they block the strait, they will no longer have a country, and they will not be able to return to their nation." Fox News reported that his remarks included profanity.

President Trump’s comments are seen as a response to Iran’s announcement that it would again blockade the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for Israel’s airstrikes on Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian militant group in Lebanon. Reporter Yingst emphasized that President Trump’s remarks should be understood in the context of Iran’s renewed threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

These statements came just before the U.S. negotiation team, led by Vice President J.D. Vance, was set to hold follow-up high-level talks with Iran in Lucerne, Switzerland, under the mediation of Pakistan and Qatar. Both sides are currently discussing ways to reach a permanent agreement during a 60-day ceasefire period, based on a recently signed memorandum of understanding to end the conflict.

President Trump also expressed a similar position on his social media platform, Truth Social, the previous day. He wrote, "There will be no passage fees in the Strait of Hormuz during the 60-day ceasefire period, and there will be no passage fees even after the 60 days expire."

However, he added, "If a final agreement is not reached, passage fees may be imposed by the United States, for the United States, to compensate for the services provided as a guardian angel to the Middle Eastern countries."

President Trump also took a hardline stance on Iran’s nuclear development. According to Fox News, he warned Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who insisted that Iran must maintain its uranium enrichment rights, saying, "He had better watch his mouth." He further cautioned, "If he does not correct his attitude, we will take control of the rest of that country."

Iran is making the freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the situation in Lebanon, sanctions relief, and the return of frozen assets key agenda items in its negotiations with the U.S. However, with President Trump publicly raising the possibility of military action and passage fees just before the talks, the Swiss negotiations are expected to proceed amid heightened tensions from the outset.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.