File photo of US President Donald Trump
Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced that the US will immediately begin reinstating the naval blockade on Iran.
In a post on social media, Trump said Iranian ships will be prevented from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, while the US will ensure that all other countries have fair and open use of the waterway.
He added that the US will impose a 20 percent charge on cargo shipped in order to cover the costs of providing security and safe passage in one of the world's most volatile regions.
In similar remarks to Fox News, Trump said the United States is reinstating the Iranian blockade and will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20 percent on all cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the process "will begin immediately", without elaborating on the details.
He further stated that the US is investing enormous sums to protect the Strait and that "the international community" should help finance the effort, stressing that the US will guard the Strait and will be reimbursed for providing security, a lot of money.
Trump assured that the US will be reimbursed, as it can't do this for free, remarking that Iran's naval, air, and missile capabilities have been almost completely destroyed, and listed the names of several Iranian commanders killed during the conflict.
Earlier, the US carried out strikes against Iran through the early hours of Monday in response to an attack targeting a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement, US Central Command said it struck dozens of targets at multiple locations using precision munitions to undermine Iran's ability to continue attacking international shipping through the Strait.
It added that US forces remain ready to ensure freedom of navigation for commercial shipping in the face of what it described as Iran's unprovoked aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations.
