Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. AFP
"POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service. Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER. 20% is, of course, too much. We will be fair," Tehran's top diplomat wrote, in a social media post.
This statement came as a response to the US President Donald Trump declaring the return of a US naval blockade on Iranian ports on Monday, saying Washington would impose hefty fees on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz as fighting once again flared over the vital waterway.
In a post on his Truth Social site, Trump declared that the US would be "known as 'THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT'," and "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 to this very volatile section of the World".
While Iran's ports would again be blockaded, he said, "all other countries will have fair and open use of the strait".
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