US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that no tolls would be imposed to cross the Straits of Hormuz – unless the US decides to impose them, in case the peace talks fail.
“There will be no tolls in the Straits of Hormuz for 60 days, during the truce period, and no tolls will be imposed after the 60-day period, unless they are imposed by the US and in favor of the US, in case the agreement is not completed,” the US president wrote on the Truth Social platform.
As Trump said, in this case the toll would be “reimbursement for the services provided by the US as a ‘Guardian Angel’ to the countries of the Middle East, both for past and current and future costs”.
Iran: Straits of Hormuz closed
On Saturday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces announced the re-closing of the Straits of Hormuz, due to ongoing Israeli operations in Lebanon.
In the relevant announcement, Tehran spoke of a “clear violation of the trust and commitments of the US” regarding the first clause of the cooperation memorandum and the continuous violations of the ceasefire by Israel in southern Lebanon.
Channel 12: Netanyahu orders ceasefire in southern Lebanon
According to a Channel 12 report, however, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly ordered the military to “avoid the use of fire” in Lebanon.
According to the same instrument, this development allegedly came about in consultation with the United States.
CENTCOM denies Tehran
The US military has denied Iran’s claims, saying this critical sea passage remains open and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure it remains open.
“Iran does not control the Straits of Hormuz,” US Central Command (Centcom) spokesman Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins told Reuters. “Traffic continues to flow normally and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure that remains the case.”
