We’re in the middle of a fragile ceasefire that’s supposed to last two weeks. to allow for negotiations with the Iranian regime.
But the regime is not an honest actor, and there were reports that they were still causing trouble in the Strait of Hormuz, and even that they were trying to charge people for transit. There had been reports that they were trying to do that prior to the ceasefire as well.
Oman skewered one fake news report that said they had agreed with Iran to charge tolls for two weeks. Oman is the country on the southern side of the Strait. Oman denied that, saying that they couldn’t do that because:
Oman cannot enforce tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, citing its obligations as a signatory to international maritime agreements, per the Transport Minister.
The AP, citing a regional official who had been directly involved in negotiations, reports the ceasefire plan includes allowing both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the Strait and that Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction.
Oman cannot enforce tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, citing its obligations as a signatory to international maritime agreements, per the Transport Minister.
The AP, citing a regional official who had been directly involved in negotiations, reports the ceasefire plan includes… https://t.co/R7kBXnR2zX
— Annmarie Hordern (@annmarie) April 8, 2026
But it sounds like Iran is doing it anyway, which would be a violation of the ceasefire agreement to keep the Strait open.
Now, President Donald Trump is weighing in, and it sounds like he’s not happy with them.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 9, 2026
“Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz. This is not the agreement we have!” he exclaimed on Truth Social.
As to the fees, Trump warned them, “There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait — They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!”
“There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait — They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!” – President DONALD J. TRUMP pic.twitter.com/wJIXNJ8z2Q
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 9, 2026
So that makes his position very clear.
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VP Vance Lays Out the Bottom Line on Iran Before In-Person Peace Talks Start This Weekend
As we’ve noted in the past, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) declares the Strait an international waterway that Iran cannot control, that transit must be permitted and shall not be impeded.
States bordering straits shall not hamper transit passage and shall give appropriate publicity to any danger to navigation or overflight within or over the strait of which they have knowledge. There shall be no suspension of transit passage.
So this effort by Iran is obviously something that cannot be accepted. They cannot control the Strait going forward, or you’re always going to have an issue.
They’ve been causing trouble in the Strait for decades. We’ve had to send in warships in the past.
During the 1980s “Tanker War,” the U.S. sent warships to escort neutral tankers safely through the Strait of Hormuz. In a major military operation, we sank a lot of their navy.
In 2008, Iran threatened to seal off the Strait of Hormuz if sanctions weren’t lifted, a move that U.S. authorities said would amount to an act of war. When the European Union announced a total embargo on Iranian oil in 2012, the Iranian regime once again promised to close the Strait of Hormuz, a move that would disrupt the flow of oil exports from Persian Gulf nations.
In defiance of Iran, the U.S., France and Britain sent aircraft carriers and warships through the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran didn’t make good on its threat.
Notice how at that time, France and the U.K. had sense.
Then, over the years since then, Iran has responded to things like sanctions and pressure by harassing and even seizing vessels.
The question now is: will they back off, or does it blow up the ceasefire? The problem with Iran is that you can’t trust or rely on anything they say. It’s hard to have an agreement or deal if in the next minute they violate it.
But they can’t be allowed to have control. The real answer is the world, as they have in the past, simply has to stand up and not let them, because it’s an international waterway.
Editor’s Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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