President Donald Trump has announced plans to slap a 20 percent toll on ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global oil trade. Trump dropped this on Fox News and his Truth Social platform as U.S.-Iran tensions climb.
Alongside,Trump plans to reinstate a naval blockade on Iran, calling it a safety measure for the strait. "The U.S.A. will be,from this point forward,known as 'THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,'" he declared. The blockade starts Tuesday at 20:00 GMT, per the U.S. Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center.
But experts question Trump's toll idea. Andreas Krieg from King’s College London says it's more political theater than policy. He argues the U.S. can't legally charge fees on international shipping in waters it doesn't control .
Krieg warns this move could undermine U.S. advocacy for freedom of navigation . Charging for access could weaken its legal stance and bolster Tehran's narrative.
Shipping companies,facing the realities of strait navigation,may ignore the U.S. toll,prioritizing safety and insurance risks over political edicts from Washington.
As tensions rise,ships face tough choices: sail near Oman,risking Iranian attacks, or closer to Iran, risking U.S . blockade accusations.
Krieg cautions that Trump's toll adds legal and commercial uncertainty. "A politically driven toll without international backing muddies the waters," he says.
Legality of tolls in international waters is under fire. Arsenio Dominguez of the IMO insists countries can't toll straits used for global navigation. IMO stands firm against fees for passing through.
Marco Rubio, Trump's secretary of state, also rejects any tolls for international waters, backing international law norms .
Global reactions have been swift . Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva slammed Trump's plan as "piracy." In São Paulo, Lula quipped, "For every ship,the oil owner must pay him 20 percent. This used to be considered piracy."
This announcement follows week of U.S.-Iran hostilities, with U.S. military actions and IRGC retaliations escalating situation.
Krieg notes Trump's ad-hoc foreign policy might stiffen Tehran's resolve. "Every time Washington rolls out new ideas without global consensus, Tehran sees it as U.S. scrambling for leverage," Krieg says.
This could stall efforts to ease tensions in the strait,leaving Iran feeling emboldened in the region.
