President Donald Trump says the United States will take control of the Strait of Hormuz, restore the naval blockade against Iran and impose a 20% tariff on all cargo transiting the strategic waterway, raising fresh concerns over global energy security and maritime trade.
Trump announces US control of the Strait of Hormuz
Escalating tensions between the United States and Iran have taken a new turn following Donald Trump’s latest remarks on the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking during an interview on Fox & Friends, the US president said that the United States would take control of the strategic waterway and recover its costs “through a 20% tariff on all cargo shipped.”
“We will become the guardians of the Strait,” Trump said. “We will hit [Iran] very hard, we will keep the Strait and we will probably run it.”
The comments come as military tensions continue to intensify in the Gulf, with reciprocal attacks between US and Iranian forces adding further uncertainty to one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
According to political risk analyst Ian Bremmer, a 20% tariff on oil transported through the Strait of Hormuz would add roughly $15 per barrel to shipping costs. For a fully loaded very large crude carrier (VLCC), this would translate into an additional cost of around $30 million, according to Bloomberg.
Trump restores Iran naval blockade
Following the television interview, Trump published a statement on Truth Social announcing that the United States would reinstate its naval blockade against Iran.
“All other countries will be allowed to use the Strait fairly,” Trump wrote, adding that “the United States will be reimbursed, through a 20% tariff on all cargo shipped, for any costs required to provide security and protection in this highly unstable part of the world.”
The announcement signals a further hardening of Washington’s position toward Tehran and raises fresh questions about freedom of navigation through one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints.
Ships go dark in the Gulf
According to vessel tracking data from Kpler, confirmed transits through the Strait of Hormuz declined by nearly 52% between 10 and 12 July compared with the previous week.
Traffic has increasingly shifted toward Iranian shipping routes, while activity through the IMO-designated and Omani corridors has nearly disappeared. Although the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has not confirmed any new attacks since 27 June, persistent tensions between the United States and Iran, combined with threats from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, continue to make commercial shipping operators more cautious.
Bloomberg’s analysis of preliminary vessel-tracking data also suggests that a growing share of ships crossing Hormuz are now sailing with their tracking systems switched off, while visible traffic along the Omani side of the Strait has dropped sharply.
As the dispute over control of the Strait intensifies, both Iranian and foreign merchant vessels are reportedly disabling their AIS transponders. Iran has previously targeted vessels using the Omani shipping lane, and several ships are believed to have continued using that route without broadcasting their positions.
The increasing use of dark shipping makes it significantly more difficult for oil and maritime markets to assess real-time traffic flows and accurately monitor developments in one of the world’s most strategically important energy corridors.
