U.S. President Donald Trump threatened today to immediately suspend negotiations with Iran if the Islamic Republic imposes transit tolls on shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, though he noted that Tehran has assured him it will not do so.
“Iran has informed the United States that, despite fake and problematic news reports claiming otherwise, no tolls, insurance costs, or any other charges are being requested or collected by Iran from ships navigating through the Strait of Hormuz,” Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. However, he warned that “if this information is false, the negotiations will be suspended immediately.”
The friction arose after Iran and Oman announced on Tuesday that they would analyze costs that could be charged for services related to managing the strait. The two nations plan to establish a joint working group to reach an agreement on the “future management of navigation” through the Strait of Hormuz, including discussions with Persian Gulf states and “other relevant parties,” before asserting their “sovereign rights” over the strategic maritime passage.
In line with these regional developments, the Prime Minister of Qatar traveled to Oman today specifically to prepare for talks regarding the Strait of Hormuz between Gulf countries, Iraq, and Iran, according to a diplomat speaking to Agence France-Presse on the condition of anonymity.
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The diplomat clarified that these regional discussions are entirely separate from the direct negotiations currently taking place between Washington and Tehran. The source also mentioned that separate discussions are planned in Saudi Arabia to foster reconciliation between Iran and the Gulf countries.
In recent months, Iranian authorities have insisted that the strait must be managed exclusively by Tehran and Muscat, pushing for the implementation of a new mechanism. This stands in contrast to international calls from Washington and other nations advocating for a complete return to pre-conflict conditions, which includes the absence of any transit tolls.
The memorandum of understanding signed between Tehran and Washington to end the war stipulates that the passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz will remain free of charge “for 60 days only.”
However, the speaker of the Iranian parliament and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, emphasized that Tehran intends to subsequently charge “user fees” for services provided in the waterway, asserting that the situation “will not return to how it was before the war.”
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In the same social media post, Donald Trump reiterated his stance on the financial aspects of the preliminary deal, stating once again that “no money has been given to Iran, nor have any funds been released to them by the United States.” Instead, he insisted, “We will release part of their money, which is under our total control, to our farmers and ranchers for the purchase of corn, wheat, soybeans, and other products.”
On Tuesday, Trump had specified on Truth Social that any Iranian funds or sanctions relief unlocked by the U.S. Treasury would be funneled into an escrow account controlled by Washington, to be used solely for purchasing medicine and food products from the United States.
Despite these assertions, the text of the preliminary memorandum signed last week by Washington and Tehran explicitly mentions the lifting of “all types of sanctions” against Iran if the final negotiations are successful.
The preliminary agreement also notes that the United States “commits, alongside its regional partners, to draft a mutually agreed definitive plan worth at least $300 billion intended for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
