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Trump reinstating naval blockade of Iranian ports

US President Donald Trump has declared the reinstatement of a naval blockade targeting Iranian vessels and cargo in the Strait of Hormuz, while stating the United States will act as guardian of the waterway and impose a 20 percent charge on cargo. The move follows renewed military exchanges between US and Iranian forces, including reported Iranian missile strikes on UAE tankers.

By Tertius News AI Desk 5 outlets · 5 articles Version 1 Coverage Jul 13–14, 2026 Published Aug 15

Lead

US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States is reinstating a naval blockade focused on Iranian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. In statements carried across multiple outlets including Al Jazeera, BBC — World, Deutsche Welle, ABC Australia and TASS — English, Trump said the measure would apply only to ships traveling to or from Iranian ports or carrying Iranian cargo, while other nations would retain access. He further declared that the United States would serve as “the guardian” of the strait and collect a 20 percent charge on all cargo shipped through it to cover security costs. The announcement came amid renewed strikes between US and Iranian forces.

Coverage comparison

Reporting from Al Jazeera, BBC — World and Deutsche Welle centered on Trump’s dual announcement of the blockade and the proposed 20 percent cargo charge, quoting his Truth Social posts and related remarks in which he described the United States as the future “guardian of the Hormuz strait.” These accounts noted that the process would begin immediately and that Trump framed the fee as reimbursement for providing safety in a volatile region. TASS — English emphasized Trump’s clarification that the strait remains open to all ships except Iranian vessels, reproducing his statement that the blockade targets only traffic linked to Iranian ports or cargo. ABC Australia reported the blockade reinstatement alongside confirmation that the US military had resumed strikes on Iran and that Iranian missiles had struck two UAE tankers in the southern Strait of Hormuz. Across the accounts, the sequence of events is presented as an escalation following earlier exchanges of fire, with Trump’s comments coming shortly after the latest round of attacks.

Key claims

US President Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a US naval blockade limited to ships coming to and from Iranian ports or carrying Iranian cargo, as reported by ABC Australia, Al Jazeera, BBC — World, Deutsche Welle and TASS — English.
Trump stated the United States will be known as the “guardian” of the Strait of Hormuz and will impose a 20 percent charge on all cargo shipped through the waterway to cover security costs, according to Al Jazeera, BBC — World and Deutsche Welle.
The Strait of Hormuz is open to all ships except Iranian vessels, per Trump’s remarks carried by TASS — English.
The US military resumed strikes on Iran, targeting military sites including air defenses, coastal radars and missile facilities, as reported by ABC Australia, Al Jazeera, BBC — World and Deutsche Welle.
Iranian missiles hit two UAE tankers in the southern Strait of Hormuz, killing one Indian crew member and injuring eight others, according to ABC Australia citing the UAE Ministry of Defence; the tankers were in Omani territorial waters and fires were brought under control.
Iran said it struck US military sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan in response, while stating it would not allow US interference in management of the waterway, which it described as closed, as carried by Al Jazeera, BBC — World and Deutsche Welle.
A spokesperson for the International Maritime Organization said the agency stands firmly against charging fees for passage through straits used for international navigation and that there is no legal basis for mandatory tolls, according to BBC — World.

Perspectives

United States / President Trump: The blockade is narrowly targeted at Iranian shipping and customers to restore security; the United States will guarantee open access for all other countries while collecting a 20 percent fee as fair reimbursement for acting as guardian of the strait. Trump asserted the waterway “will remain OPEN, with or without Iran” and that the United States would “probably run” it after Iran allegedly broke a prior understanding.

Iran: Tehran rejected any US role in managing the Strait of Hormuz, stating it would not allow interference and describing the waterway as closed. Iranian forces responded to US strikes by targeting American military positions in neighboring countries.

United Arab Emirates: The UAE Ministry of Defence condemned the missile strikes on its tankers as a serious breach of international law and affirmed the country’s right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and security.

International Maritime Organization: The UN shipping agency opposes the introduction of fees or tolls for transit through international straits, stating there is no legal basis for such charges.