US President Donald Trump says Iran systematically violates every agreement it reaches, and therefore the US is taking control of the Strait of Hormuz.
"The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait. The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT," but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, 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 to this very volatile section of the World. The process and formation will begin immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP," he posted on X.
The President also issued a warning to Iran. "We had a deal. It was a done deal, and then they violated it. They always violate it. We had 10 deals with these people, so we are simply going to hit them very hard," he said.
Trump also revealed that an 11-hour negotiating session with Iranian representatives took place yesterday, and criticized the Iranian team, saying he believes they are acting without authority because agreements reached with them are not being honored.