Trump says Washington will not accept Iran’s imposition of a de facto toll booth system in the critical waterway. Published On 11 Apr 202611 Apr 2026United States President Donald Trump has said the Strait of Hormuz will reopen “fairly soon” with or without Iran’s assistance, as Tehran’s effective blockade of the waterway continues to roil global energy supplies.Speaking to reporters on Friday in advance of peace talks between US and Iranian officials in Pakistan, Trump said the US would “open up the Gulf” and that other countries were ready to “help out”.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list“It won’t be easy,” Trump said.“I would say this: We will have that open fairly soon,” he added.Trump, who did not elaborate on how Washington would unblock the critical maritime chokepoint, also said he would not accept Iran’s imposition of a de facto toll booth system in the strait.Tehran has indicated that it intends to charge vessels fees for safe passage even in the event that a deal is reached with the US to end the war.“If they are doing that, we’re not going to let that happen,” Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Camp Springs, Maryland.Trump said ensuring Iran does not possess nuclear weapons is the priority in any agreement, and the strait would open “automatically”.“No nuclear weapons, that’s 99 percent of it,” Trump said.“The strait will open up,” he added. “If we just left … otherwise they make no money.”Despite the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran on Tuesday, shipping in the strait remains at an effective standstill, disrupting approximately one-fifth of global oil and natural gas flows. Advertisement Only two vessels passed through the strait on Friday, down from five the previous day, according to …
