Trump reimposes Iran blockade in Hormuz, says US will charge ships for safe passage

US President Donald Trump on Monday, 13 July announced that the United States was "reinstating" a blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and would levy a 20 per cent toll on eligible cargo ships using the strategic waterway, signalling a sharp escalation in Washington's response after fresh hostilities derailed peace negotiations.

In a post on social media, Trump said Iranian ships would no longer be allowed to transit the strait, while vessels from other countries would continue to enjoy "fair and open use" of the route.

"We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran's ships or customers from entering or leaving," Trump wrote. He added that the toll would help cover "any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World."

The announcement came after another exchange of fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas trade passed before the conflict erupted. The latest escalation followed an Iranian attack on a container ship on Sunday. Tehran has asserted control over the strategic waterway since the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on 28 February.

Iran maintains it has the right to regulate shipping and levy fees under an interim peace arrangement reached last month. The United States and its allies reject that claim, arguing that international law guarantees freedom of navigation through the strait.

Oil prices briefly surged nearly 5 per cent following Trump's announcement before easing. US benchmark crude was trading at around USD 72.92 a barrel.

As tensions mounted, reports emerged that Russia had dispatched a specialised Tupolev Tu-214PU command-and-control aircraft to Tehran. Flight-tracking data indicated the aircraft had travelled to the Iranian capital, although neither Moscow nor Tehran has officially commented on its mission.

The Tu-214PU is a highly modified airborne command post equipped with secure communications systems used by the Kremlin during periods of heightened military activity. While some media reports have described it as a "doomsday aircraft", defence analysts note that the platform primarily serves as a flying command centre rather than a combat aircraft.

The reported deployment has fuelled speculation about closer Russian-Iranian military coordination, although there is no official evidence linking the flight to any operational role in the ongoing conflict.

The US military said it struck dozens of Iranian targets on Monday, including air defence systems, radar installations, missile and drone equipment and small naval vessels, reiterating that Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged all sides to keep the waterway open, saying freedom of navigation must be respected.

Iranian leaders, however, vowed to defend what they describe as their sovereign rights over the strait. Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tehran would continue fighting to ensure Iranian vessels were not forced to "pay tribute to the enemy", while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that the Strait of Hormuz was "our territory".

The conflict also spilled across the wider Gulf. Missile alerts sounded in Bahrain, home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, while Kuwait reported intercepting incoming projectiles. Jordan said it shot down four Iranian missiles without casualties.

Despite a 60-day framework intended to produce a permanent peace agreement and resolve disputes over Iran's nuclear programme, negotiations remain stalled. Fresh attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz have renewed fears of a broader regional conflict and further disruption to global energy supplies.

With agency inputs