President Donald Trump declared that the Strait of Hormuz will not face tolls for 60 days under the cease-fire framework and signaled there will be no charges after that period unless the United States chooses to impose them; his post ties the exception to America acting as the region’s “Guardian Angel” for reimbursement. The announcement followed a deal intended to pause fighting, reopen the strait, and limit Iran’s nuclear advances, and it landed amid a patchwork of cautious moves to clear mines and restart shipping. Iran’s foreign ministry said it was “not seeking to levy transit tolls; however, fees will be charged in exchange for the services that are provided,” adding a layer of uncertainty about how the arrangement will play out. Shipping has resumed but remains below normal levels, and energy markets have already begun to react to the reopening.
President Trump made his position public on Truth Social, stating that there would be a 60-day no-tolls period in the Strait of Hormuz as part of a cease-fire arrangement intended to buy more time for negotiations. He emphasized that tolls after that window would only be allowed if the United States decided to impose them for services rendered. That interventionist framing ties economic leverage to a security role in the region.
There will be NO TOLLS in the Hormuz Strait for 60 days during the Cease Fire Period, and there will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day period has expired, unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed, for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs.
Trump’s note came after he signed a deal with Iran meant to curb active hostilities and get shipping moving again through the Strait of Hormuz, which had been blocked early in the conflict. The agreement also calls for a halt to fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah and for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and pause efforts toward nuclear weapons. Those are specific benchmarks built into the pause so negotiators can test whether compliance holds.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the regime is “not seeking to levy transit tolls; however, fees will be charged in exchange for the services that are provided.” That statement suggests Iran wants to claim compensation without framing it as a transit tax, and it leaves room for dispute over what constitutes legitimate fees. Meanwhile, teams are actively clearing mines and other hazards left in the waterway, work that will determine how quickly traffic can return to full strength.
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Shipping through the strait has restarted, but activity levels remain below what they were before the shutdown; the flow of vessels is recovering unevenly as operators assess risks. The waterway carries about 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas, along with other commodities, so any lingering disruption keeps pressure on global energy markets. Oil prices have already eased some with the partial reopening, but they remain sensitive to both military and diplomatic developments.
If Tehran attempts to charge fees on transit, those levies could blunt the price relief Americans are beginning to see at the pump and complicate international shipping economics. Trump’s post frames the U.S. as the ultimate enforcer and potential fee-imposer if the deal collapses, tying economic pressure to security guarantees. From a Republican perspective, that stance insists the United States preserve leverage while protecting free passage for global commerce.
Operationally, mine clearance and port inspections are the immediate hurdles to restoring normal traffic, and those tasks will take time and coordination among navies and private operators. Commercial carriers will watch how claims for service fees are handled and whether Washington backs up its warning about U.S.-imposed charges after the 60-day window. For now, policymakers and market actors are treating the cease-fire as fragile but useful, keeping a close eye on compliance and enforcement.
Whatever happens next will be decided at the intersection of diplomacy, maritime security work, and economic signaling from all sides involved. The arrangement buys breathing room for talks, but the competing public statements from Washington and Tehran leave the future of tolls and fees an open question. Observers should expect careful, sometimes tense maneuvering as enforcement, reimbursements, and shipping priorities get negotiated in real time.
