United States President Donald Trump has suggested that the US could assume responsibility for overseeing the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that Washington should be financially compensated for protecting the strategically important maritime route amid rising tensions with Iran.
Trump made the remarks during a telephone interview on Fox News’ Fox & Friends on Monday, where he discussed the growing security concerns surrounding one of the world’s busiest oil shipping corridors.
According to Reuters, the US president said Washington would likely take charge of securing the waterway and described the role as essential to maintaining global energy stability.
“We’re going to keep the strait, and we’ll probably run it. We’ll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we’ll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that,” Trump said.
He further argued that countries benefiting from the security of the shipping lane should bear part of the financial responsibility for maintaining it.
“We’re going to guard it. We’re going to get paid for guarding it – a lot of money.
“We’re going to be reimbursed, because the other nations are very wealthy. They’re on our side, and we can’t be expected to do that for nothing,” he added.
Trump’s comments come as the Strait of Hormuz remains a focal point of heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.
According to the report, Iran announced the closure of the strategic waterway on Saturday following what it described as an unauthorised maritime transit.
Iranian authorities reportedly maintained on Sunday that commercial shipping through the route would remain suspended until what they called “stability and calm” had been restored.
During the interview, Trump accused Tehran of failing to honour previous agreements reached with Washington.
“We had a deal. It was a done deal, and then they broke it. They always break it. We’ve had 10 deals with these people, and so we’re just going to hit them very hard,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reportedly insisted that normal shipping operations through the Strait of Hormuz could only resume if the United States halted its military activities in the area.
The group warned that continued military involvement by Washington could trigger further disruptions affecting the global oil and gas industry.
According to the report, the latest escalation followed exchanges of missile and drone attacks between American and Iranian forces over the weekend and into Monday.
Iran reportedly claimed responsibility for attacks targeting US military facilities across the Gulf while maintaining its closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The reported developments have contributed to renewed concerns in global energy markets, with oil prices rising amid fears of prolonged disruption to one of the world’s most critical energy supply routes.
The renewed confrontation has also raised questions about the future of an interim understanding reportedly reached between Washington and Tehran last month to reopen the waterway and suspend hostilities while negotiations continued.
