U.S. President Donald Trump said he would resume the maritime blockade against Iran. He also declared that, in return for guaranteeing the safety of ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the United States would collect 20% of transported cargo as a transit fee. This is a complete reversal of the stance that opposed Iranian control of Hormuz and championed freedom of navigation.

As a result, the ceasefire memorandum of understanding (MOU) has effectively become a scrap of paper, and expectations that the Strait of Hormuz could return to its prewar state are steadily fading.

On the 13th (local time), President Trump wrote on Truth Social that “We will resume the maritime blockade against Iran” and stated that “We will block Iranian vessels and customers who purchase Iranian crude from coming and going, but all other countries can use this strait fairly and freely.”

He then unilaterally declared that “The United States, now as the ‘guardian of the Strait of Hormuz’, will be compensated for all costs required for the mission of providing safety and security at a rate of 20% of transported cargo.” He added, “Procedures and system building for this will begin immediately.”

The declaration to impose a transit fee is seen as shifting military costs for responding to Iran onto vessels using the strait, under the label of a security guarantee service. Before posting on Truth Social, President Trump also said in a Fox News interview that “We will receive big money (for guarding Hormuz)” and that “We cannot be expected to do that job for free as we have for years.”

However, this amounts to shifting onto other countries the costs of reopening Hormuz, which was closed due to a war unilaterally initiated by the United States. Above all, it contradicts the stance the United States has claimed for itself as the guardian of ‘freedom of navigation’ while criticizing Iran’s plan to collect transit charges in Hormuz. Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in June, criticized Iran and stressed that “Under current international law, no country can impose transit fees or charges in an international strait.”

U.S. Central Command said that the anti-Iran maritime blockade measures announced by President Trump will resume from 5 a.m. on the 15th (Korea time). The Trump administration moved to blockade all vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports and coasts starting April 13 to cut off Iranian financial lifelines, but lifted it on the 18th of last month when the two sides signed the ceasefire MOU. However, not even a month after the MOU was signed, matters are effectively returning to the previous state.

Armed clashes between the United States and Iran continue. On this day, U.S. Central Command carried out airstrikes on Iran for a third straight day, and Iran fired missiles at two UAE-flagged oil tankers that were sailing in the strait toward Omani territorial waters. One crew member was killed and eight were injured in the attack.

Appearing on a conservative radio channel that day, President Trump argued, “The ceasefire MOU does not mean much. It was created to test Iran, and they did not pass the test.” He then said, “We will hit Iran hard tonight and tomorrow as well.” However, given that even powerful airstrikes early in the war failed to force Iran to surrender, new airstrikes seem unlikely to bring about a change in Iran.

Separately from the resumption of military operations, President Trump said that “Negotiations will continue,” but as the ceasefire MOU unraveled in less than a month, concerns are growing over whether talks between the Trump administration and Iran can proceed properly. The sudden declaration to impose transit fees is also seen as an expression of frustration that both military and diplomatic approaches have failed.

Meanwhile, President Trump announced via Truth Social that he will deliver a public address at 10 a.m. (Korea time) on the 17th. He did not mention the theme of the speech, but it appears likely to concern the war with Iran. The last public address by President Trump was on April 1. In that speech, he declared a policy to strike Iran extremely hard over the following two to three weeks.