US President Donald Trump announced on the social media platform Truth Social that he would reimpose a naval blockade on Iran and charge a 20 percent transit fee on all cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz. While Trump said the process would begin immediately, he did not provide detailed information about the plan.
A spokesperson for the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) said regarding Trump's statement, 'We are aware of the post and await further details.' Clarifying the organization's stance, the spokesperson stated, 'The IMO is firmly opposed to charging fees for transit through straits used for international navigation. There is no legal basis for imposing a mandatory fee simply for passing through a strait.'
Officials from the maritime industry also reacted to Trump's plan. An official who did not wish to be named assessed that such a step would violate international law. The official posed the question, 'How will this make navigation safer and what guarantees will it provide?'