U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that the United States will assume the role of “guardian” of the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that Washington should be financially compensated by wealthy nations for safeguarding one of the world’s most strategic maritime routes.
Speaking during an interview on Fox & Friends on Monday, Trump said the U.S. had protected the vital shipping corridor for years without adequate compensation.
“We’ll become the guardian of the Strait. We’re going to get paid for guarding it. A lot of money, but we just want to be reimbursed for doing all of this, for putting our people in danger,” Trump said.
The president also claimed the United States was effectively “taking over” the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage through which a significant portion of the world’s oil and gas supplies transit.
“We’re taking over the Strait. They have nothing. They’ve got nothing,” Trump said.
Trump’s remarks come amid renewed tensions between the United States and Iran following a series of military exchanges that have raised concerns over the stability of the Middle East and the security of global energy supplies.
The latest escalation has intensified uncertainty over efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire, with the Strait of Hormuz once again emerging as the focal point of the confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
Trump also criticized Iranian negotiators, accusing them of attempting to alter the terms of an agreement reached after an 11-hour round of talks over the weekend.
“Everything was agreed to yesterday. Then they leave the room, call back, and say they had to make a couple of changes,” he said, without specifying the proposed amendments.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran is engaging in diplomatic consultations with mediators from Qatar, Pakistan, and Oman in an effort to prevent further escalation.
The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz remains a major flashpoint. While Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed the waterway is “closed,” U.S. officials maintain that the strategic shipping lane remains open to international maritime traffic and is not under Iranian control.
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