Trump reinstates US naval blockade on Iranian ports, threatens Hormuz transit fees

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the United States has reinstated a naval blockade of Iranian ports and will impose substantial fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The move, framed as a response to Tehran’s alleged support for regional destabilization, follows a series of escalating diplomatic disputes between Washington and Tehran. In retaliation, Iranian officials issued a statement indicating they would levy a lower charge for ships navigating the strategic waterway, a gesture described by Tehran as a “mocking” counter‑measure to the U.S. policy.

In a related interview, France 24’s Jennie Shin spoke with Aaron David Miller, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former State Department Middle East analyst. Miller contextualized the blockade within a broader pattern of heightened U.S. pressure on Iran, noting that the imposition of fees could disrupt global oil shipments and raise shipping costs worldwide. He also warned that Tehran’s reciprocal pricing, while symbolic, underscores the risk of further tit‑for‑tat escalation in a region already marked by volatility, and emphasized the need for diplomatic channels to avert a potential widening of the conflict.