US resumes Iran port blockade as Trump drops Hormuz transit fee
President Trump dropped his plan for a 20% fee on cargo moving through the Strait of Hormuz , saying he does not “like the concept of a fee” and would instead lean on trade and investment commitments from Gulf states. Hours later, the US moved to reinstate the naval blockade of Iranian ports that had been lifted under the June memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.
The reversal came amid a fresh round of fighting. Iranian media reported US strikes near Bushehr, Bandar Abbas and Mahshahr and explosions on the islands of Qeshm and Kish, while Iran launched missiles and drones at Gulf states, with Kuwait’s forces engaging aerial targets. Iran has vowed to keep striking US assets in the region.
The escalation puts the preliminary deal that ended earlier fighting and reopened the strait in jeopardy. Dropping a toll the US would have to enforce ship by ship — in favor of Gulf investment pledges already on the table — lets Trump claim a win without policing traffic through contested waters, but reimposing the blockade signals the diplomatic track has stalled rather than closed.