By Ayo Kehinde
President Donald Trump has declared that he would reinstate a blockade targeting Iranian shipping and proposed a 20 per cent charge on all cargo moving through the Strait of Hormuz, amid US airstrike against Iran’s military facilities on Monday.
His announcement of the toll drew immediate legal objections from the United Nations’ maritime agency.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social platform on Monday, signaling a major escalation in Washington’s strategy in the Gulf and introduces a controversial plan that could reshape global maritime trade through one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
Declaring that “the Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran,” Trump said the United States was “reinstating the Iranian blockade” to prevent Iranian ships or customers from entering or leaving Iranian ports while guaranteeing unrestricted passage for vessels from other nations.
The U.S. President also proclaimed that America would become the “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait” and argued that countries benefiting from U.S. naval protection should reimburse Washington at a rate of 20 per cent on all cargo passing through the waterway.
Trump said the proposed charge would offset the cost of securing the strait, adding that implementation of the policy would begin immediately.
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint, carrying roughly one-fifth of global crude oil consumption and substantial volumes of liquefied natural gas exports.
Any disruption to traffic through the narrow passage has immediate implications for international energy markets and global trade.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency responsible for regulating international shipping, swiftly challenged Trump’s proposal, saying there is no legal basis under international law for imposing mandatory transit fees on ships navigating international straits.
An IMO spokesperson said the organization remains firmly opposed to compulsory charges on vessels exercising the internationally recognised right of transit passage and is awaiting further details from Washington regarding how the proposed cargo levy would be implemented.
According to the agency, international maritime law does not permit mandatory tolls for ships transiting international straits such as the Strait of Hormuz, where freedom of navigation is protected under long-established legal principles.
The IMO added that it would reserve further comment until the United States provides additional details on the proposal, including its legal framework, implementation mechanism, and the categories of vessels that could be affected.
Meanwhile, the announcement also rattled energy markets, with oil prices edging higher as investors assessed the possibility of renewed instability around the Gulf and the potential impact on global energy supplies.
