US President Donald Trump has given a big statement regarding the Strait of Hormuz amid tensions with Iran. He has said that no toll will be collected from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz during the 60-day interim ceasefire with Iran or thereafter. Along with this, he also warned that if the peace agreement fails, America itself may impose its own toll on this important waterway.
On Saturday, Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social and said that if the talks starting on Sunday in Switzerland do not reach any concrete result in the stipulated 60 days, then America can impose its toll on passing through the strait. Under the interim deal, the negotiators have got 60 days to reach a nuclear agreement, which can also be extended.
‘There will be no toll in the Strait of Hormuz…’
Trump wrote, ‘There will be no tolls in the Strait of Hormuz during the 60-day period of the ceasefire, and no tolls will be imposed after the 60 days, unless they are imposed by the United States and for the United States. If the deal is not completed, a toll will be levied to cover past, present and future costs for the services provided as the ‘guardian angel’ of the Middle East countries.
These announcements indicate that the US-Iran talks have had a difficult start at the technical level. Chief mediator Pakistan has said that the talks will start from Sunday, in which mediators from Qatar will also participate.
Iran’s claim
Meanwhile, Iran’s Joint Military Command said that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed due to America’s clear violation of its commitments by failing to end the war. The purpose of the interim agreement is to stop fighting on all fronts.
America denied
US Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said that Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic is flowing smoothly and the US military is monitoring the situation to ensure that it remains so. The military said 55 merchant ships arrived for transit on Saturday, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil.
US-Iran talks in Switzerland
Shortly after the announcement of closing the strait, Iran’s state broadcaster said that the negotiating team was leaving for Switzerland. This tour was postponed from Friday. According to government media, the team includes Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Central Bank and oil officials. There is also talk of releasing Iran’s frozen assets in the deal.
Key mediator Pakistan said that technical level US-Iran talks will start from Sunday in the presence of Qatari mediators. US Vice President JD Vance confirmed that White House negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are in Switzerland and working on the technical details of talks on Iran’s nuclear program. Vance told Fox News that he expected to visit Switzerland in the next few days.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important oil routes in the world. About 20% of the global oil supply passes through here every day. Therefore, any kind of toll or ban on it has a global impact.
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