Trump reimposes naval blockade on Iran amid escalating clashes in Hormuz

Axios-July 13th2026

by Barak Ravid

President Trump announced on Monday that the U.S. is reinstating the naval blockade on Iran and will prevent any ships from leaving or entering Iranian ports.

• He also claimed the U.S. would be “reimbursed” at a rate of 20% for securing safe passage for cargo ships, though the details and seriousness of the initiative were not immediately clear.

Why it matters: The blockade — a response to renewed clashes between the U.S. and Iran in recent days — threatens to dramatically escalate tensions in the strait and change the economics of shipping energy and materials in the Middle East.

• It marks a further unraveling of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU), which Trump declared “over” last week after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps resumed attacks on commercial ships.
• After a day of negotiations with regional mediators on Saturday, the IRGC attacked another ship and declared the strait “closed until further notice” — triggering a new round of U.S. strikes on Iran.

What he is saying: “The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.

• He added that the U.S. “will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT'” and in return will ask to be “reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped” in exchange for providing security.

• “The process and formation will begin immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote.

Yes, but: A senior Gulf source told Axios the U.S. hasn’t discussed the issue of possible tolls for securing the Strait of Hormuz with its allies in the region.

Read more on original:

https://www.axios.com/2026/07/13/trump-iran-blockade-strait-hormuz