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Trump says Iran should not charge tolls to tankers going through Strait of Hormuz
Ship traffic in the Strait stayed below 10% of normal on Thursday, despite the fragile ceasefire, as Iran asserts its control by warning ships to keep to its territorial waters while doing so
- PUBLISHED: Fri 10 Apr 2026, 8:53 AM
[Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog for the latest regional developments with the US-Israel-Iran ceasefire now in effect.]
President Donald Trump said on Thursday Iran should not charge fees to tankers going through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded since the start of the Iran war, causing the worst disruption to global energy supplies in history.
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"There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"They better not be, and, if they are, they better stop now."
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Media reports have suggested Iran might want to charge a toll for ships passing through. Western leaders have pushed back on the idea of paying any such fees.
Iran will demand toll payments in cryptocurrency to retain control over Hormuz during a two-week ceasefire with the US, the Financial Times quoted Hamid Hosseini, a spokesperson for Iran's Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters' Union, as saying on Wednesday.
In a separate post, without elaborating, Trump said, "You'll see oil start flowing, with or without the help of Iran."
Ship traffic through the strait stood at well below 10% of normal volumes on Thursday despite the fragile ceasefire as Tehran asserted its control by warning ships to keep to its territorial waters while doing so.
The war brought traffic through the strait, a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, close to a standstill.
The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and countries in the region. The war has raised oil prices and shaken global markets.
US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions.
Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday after having previously threatened to 'destroy Iran's entire civilisation'.