Trump vows Iran will not charge Strait of Hormuz tolls, but says U.S. might
U.S. President Donald Trump said that under the new U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding Tehran will not charge tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, but added that Washington reserves the right to impose its own tolls. The text leaves open the possibility of revisiting the toll regime after an initial 60-day transition period.
Trump told White House reporters in a brief exchange, 'The Iranians won't charge a toll; it might be a good thing for the U.S. to charge one — we haven't decided yet.' The Treasury Department added that the memorandum includes a suspension clause and that both sides may request a review after a 60-day observation period.
The technical groundwork for a possible U.S. toll regime in the strait is not yet clear; former Pentagon energy-security advisers said charging for corridor-security operations run out of the U.S. Fifth Fleet's Bahrain base is an option under discussion. No specific tariff or fee level has been disclosed.
Global oil markets reacted modestly to the announcement; Brent crude closed the day 0.8% lower at $87.40 a barrel. The Saudi Arabian and UAE oil ministries said they were assessing the implementability of any toll regime, while Norway's Equinor said any fee 'should remain limited under international transit law'.
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