United States President Donald Trump has called for financial compensation for America’s role in securing the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that countries benefiting from the strategic waterway should pay the US for protecting one of the world’s busiest oil shipping routes.
Speaking during an interview with reporters on Monday, Trump said Washington was prepared to take responsibility for the vital maritime corridor and should no longer provide security without compensation.
“We’re going to keep the strait, and we’ll probably run it. We’ll become the guardian of the strait… And we should be reimbursed for that,” he said.
Trump maintained that the United States had protected the waterway for years at no cost, insisting that nations whose economies depend on uninterrupted oil shipments through the strait have the capacity to contribute financially.
The US president also rejected Iran’s assertion that it had effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, claiming instead that Washington was taking control of the strategic passage.
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His comments come as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to rise over the waterway, a critical gateway for global crude oil exports.
The standoff has intensified concerns over global energy security, with analysts warning that prolonged disruption to shipping through the strait could drive up oil prices and fuel inflation across international markets.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards insisted that normal shipping operations would only resume if the United States halted its military activities in the region, warning that continued intervention could further destabilise the global oil and gas sector.
Reports indicate that US and Iranian forces exchanged missile and drone attacks over the weekend and into Monday, with Tehran claiming responsibility for strikes on American military facilities across the Gulf while maintaining restrictions on movement through the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest escalation has further undermined last month’s interim agreement between Washington and Tehran, which sought to reopen the strategic waterway and ease hostilities while both sides pursued wider negotiations.
