Trump Retracts 20% Toll in One Day..."Replaces It with Middle East Investment Agreements"

"Maritime Blockade Against Iran Is Due to Its Leadership"

U.S. President Donald Trump retracted his plan to impose a 20% fee on the value of cargo carried by civilian ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, reversing the policy just one day after its announcement. Instead, the United States will seek economic compensation through trade and investment agreements with Middle Eastern countries.

On July 14 (local time), President Trump wrote on Truth Social, "After very productive discussions with Middle Eastern leaders, it has been decided that the United States' 20% compensation fee will be replaced by trade and investment agreements with various Middle Eastern nations."

President Trump had previously declared that the U.S. would receive 20% of the value of goods transported on civilian vessels as compensation for guaranteeing their safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz by the U.S. military. His idea was to collect a sort of toll to cover the costs incurred by U.S. forces, stationed around the Strait, for preventing attacks by Iranian forces and ensuring the safety of merchant ships.

However, facing strong backlash—particularly from Middle Eastern countries that use the Strait of Hormuz as a major export route for energy—President Trump appeared to reverse this position less than a day later. He stated, "These investments will be monumental in scale and, at the same time, very beneficial for those countries and their future."

He continued, "The United States is already attracting more dollar investment than any country in history, but with these new investments, the scale will become even larger," adding, "Factories, production facilities, and equipment will flood into the U.S. at historic levels, creating millions of additional high-wage jobs."

Nevertheless, he announced that the U.S. would proceed as planned with its maritime blockade policy against Iran. President Trump, reiterating his previous point, said, "Thanks to the incredible strength of the U.S. military, oil is flowing more smoothly than ever before," and asserted that "the Strait of Hormuz remains open to all vessels except those from Iran."

This refers to the maritime blockade against Iran that the U.S. military plans to resume. According to U.S. Central Command, starting at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (5:00 a.m. Korea Standard Time on July 15), the U.S. military will block passage for ships traveling to and from Iranian ports and coastlines, in order to further restrict Iran's financial resources.

President Trump claimed, "The prohibition on Iran's passage is because of lies, violence, and the malevolence of its leadership, and it is that very leadership that is leading Iran down a path to total ruin."

He continued, "We will implement a full blockade;" however, he explained, "this will apply only to ships traveling to and from Iranian ports or transporting goods related to Iranian cargo."

President Trump also stated, "The era in which Iran killed hundreds of thousands of people, including 52,000 demonstrators, is over," adding, "Above all, Iran will never have nuclear weapons."

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