Trump says US will act as 'guardian' of Strait of Hormuz amid fresh US-Iran attacks

US President Donald Trump has said the United States will restart a naval blockade of Iran and act as the "guardian" of the Strait of Hormuz, as the confrontation with Iran intensifies. He made the remarks in an interview and in a post on Truth Social shortly after the two sides traded fresh attacks. The latest exchange has raised further concern that negotiations aimed at ending the fighting could collapse.

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Trump said the US was reinstating what he called the "Iranian blockade" and said the country would be reimbursed at a rate of 20% on all cargo shipped for the costs of providing safety and security in the waterway. He added that the process would begin immediately. The supplied rows say he had previously threatened to maintain US influence over the strait and potentially charge tolls if ceasefire talks broke down.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical shipping lane through which about 20% of the world's oil and gas exports normally pass. The latest attacks were described in the supplied material as involving Iranian strikes on US military sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan, while US forces have been targeting port cities along Iran's coast. Iran has rejected any US control over the strait, and a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned Washington and its allies against moving ahead with such a plan.

The row says the renewed violence threatens to derail a 60-day negotiation process that began after both sides signed an initial memorandum of understanding last month. The dispute matters because the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy chokepoints, and any disruption can affect shipping insurance, fuel costs and inflation far beyond the region. The supplied rows say the initial agreement had included ending the fighting, lifting the US naval blockade and opening the strait to shipping.

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They also say more difficult issues, including Iran's nuclear programme, frozen assets and the future administration of the strait, were meant to be negotiated over the following 60 days. The latest comments also underline how the conflict has shifted from military exchanges to a direct contest over control of a strategic maritime route. Iran's military command has said it will not accept such a plan, while the US position described by Trump would amount to a renewed effort to control access to the passage.

The rows indicate that the blockade and the attacks have already complicated efforts to restore diplomacy and reach a more lasting peace. What remains unclear is whether Trump's remarks amount to a formal policy decision or a warning during an active crisis. It is also not clear how any renewed blockade would be enforced, or whether other states that rely on the route would support it.

The key issue to watch is whether the attacks continue and whether the negotiations can survive the dispute over the strait.

US President Donald Trump has said the United States would probably take over the Strait of Hormuz and should be reimbursed for controlling the vital shipping route. His remarks came as hostilities between the US and Iran continued to spread across West Asia and concerns grew over the security of one of the world's most important energy chokepoints. The comments were made in a phone interview and followed a weekend of attacks that further complicated efforts to restore diplomacy.

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Trump said the US would "keep the strait" and would probably run it, adding that Washington would become the "guardian of the strait." He also said the US should be paid "a lot of money" for guarding the waterway, arguing that other countries benefiting from the route were wealthy and should reimburse the US. In the same remarks, he said a deal had been reached before it was broken, and warned that the US would "hit them very hard." The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow but strategically vital passage for global oil and gas shipments, and the supplied rows say it carries about 20% of global supply. Iran's effective blockade or suspension of passage through the strait has already pushed up energy prices and increased inflation concerns globally.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the only way to restore regular shipping traffic was to end US military intervention in the waterway, and warned that continued interference could lead to greater incidents in the global oil and gas sector. The latest comments matter because the strait sits at the centre of a wider conflict that is now affecting energy markets far beyond the region. Any prolonged disruption there can affect shipping insurance, fuel costs and broader inflation pressures, especially for countries dependent on imported oil and gas.

The remarks also underline how quickly the dispute has moved from military exchanges to a direct contest over control of a critical maritime route. The supplied rows say the weekend of attacks between the US and Iran stretched across the wider Middle East and further threatened diplomacy aimed at ending the war. They also say US and Iranian forces exchanged heavy missile and drone attacks over the weekend and into Monday.

Tehran said it had struck US military facilities across the Gulf while keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed, adding to fears that the confrontation could widen further. Iran had earlier announced that Hormuz was shut after what it described as an unauthorised transit, and later said the passage remained suspended. According to the rows, permits would only be issued once "stability and calm" were restored.

The Revolutionary Guards said on Monday that normal shipping traffic could only resume if US military intervention in the waterway ended, making the strait itself a central point of leverage in the conflict. The dispute also has implications for countries well beyond the immediate conflict zone. The rows say the closure has already driven oil and energy prices higher, which can feed through into transport costs, consumer prices and government budgets.

Because the strait is a major route for global energy exports, even short interruptions can have outsized effects on markets and on the calculations of states that rely on uninterrupted maritime trade. What remains unclear is whether Trump's remarks reflect a formal policy shift or a political statement during an active crisis. It is also not clear how any US move to "take over" the strait would be implemented, or whether it would gain support from other countries that depend on the route.

The key issue to watch is whether the fighting eases enough to reopen the passage, or whether the blockade and retaliatory strikes deepen the disruption to global energy supplies.

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