Trump announces 20 per cent cargo charge on Hormuz shipping, vows to reinstate Iran blockade

President Donald Trump on Monday said the United States US would impose a 20 per cent charge on all cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz to recover the cost of securing the strategic waterway and would reinstate a blockade targeting Iranian shipsThe Hormuz Strait is OPEN Trump posted adding We are reinstating THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE so named because it is only stopping Irans ships or customers from entering or leavingHe also said that the US will be reimbursed at the rate of 20 on all cargo shipped for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security through the vital shipping routeTrump further stated that the US was taking over the Strait of Hormuz and would be paid for protecting it as Washington and Tehran continued to clash over the strategically important waterwayIran however rejected the assertion with the spokesperson for the Khatam AlAnbiya military command saying Tehran would under no circumstances allow the US to interfere in managing the strait news agency AFP reported The official also warned Gulf nations against cooperating with Washington saying they had already borne the brunt of Irans retaliatory attacksThe latest statements came as the US and Iran exchanged some of their heaviest attacks since the April ceasefire The US military said it struck dozens of targets on Monday while Irans Revolutionary Guards announced fresh retaliatory strikes targeting Bahrain Jordan Kuwait and OmanTrump says US will take over Strait of HormuzThe Strait of Hormuz a crucial global oil and gas transit route had not been a point of contention before the US and Israel launched military operations against Iran in February Tehran later declared the waterway closed and now considers it a key source of leverage in its standoff with WashingtonWere taking over the Strait They have nothing Theyve got nothing Trump said in an interview with FoxHe added that the US would become the guardian of the Strait of Hormuz and get paid for ensuring its securityDespite declaring last week that the April ceasefire with Iran was over Trump said negotiations aimed at reaching a permanent settlement would continue He told Fox that talks had taken place on Sunday but accused Iranian negotiators of backtracking on previous understandingsIrans Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the June memorandum of understanding that formed the basis of negotiations was in crisisHe said Tehran would stop honouring its commitments under the agreement if the US failed to fulfil its own obligations but added that Iran was continuing talks through mediators from Qatar Pakistan and Oman to prevent further escalationIran launches fresh strikes on Gulf nationsThe past weeks hostilities have centred on the Strait of Hormuz which Irans Revolutionary Guards describe as closed while the US maintains that it remains open to lawful maritime trafficA spokesperson for the Revolutionary Guards Hossein Mohebi accused Washington of endangering global energy supplies through its actions in the strait saying the US must be held accountable while reiterating Irans sovereignty over HormuzPakistan a key intermediary in the negotiations expressed deep concern at escalation in regional tensions according to its foreign officeIrans foreign ministry said the US attacks had caused the return of insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz and rendered futile all efforts to establish peace in the regionIrans Revolutionary Guards also claimed to have struck US military targets and bases in Jordan Bahrain and Kuwait Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain Kuwait said it intercepted hostile aerial targets while Jordans military said it intercepted four Iranian missilesBahrain accused Iran of carrying out heinous attacks with missiles and drones that target civilians and said it had intercepted several Iranian projectilesIran maintained that it only targets US interests in the Gulf but warned that any cooperation by Gulf countries with the US would be treated as an act of warWith AFP inputs