Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on June 20, citing Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon, and U.S. President Donald Trump responded by threatening to impose American tolls on the strategic waterway if a final agreement is not reached within 60 days, according to multiple news reports.
The move marks the second time this year Iran has attempted to shut the strait, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil passes. The closure came as the U.S. denied the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ claim that it had effectively sealed the waterway—commercial ships continued to transit under U.S. naval escort, the BBC reported.
Trump, speaking from the White House, said the U.S. would “charge tolls” to any vessel using the Strait of Hormuz if Iran does not agree to a final nuclear and regional security deal within 60 days. “We’re not going to let them hold the world’s energy hostage,” Trump said, according to Euronews. The U.S. and Iran are scheduled to begin direct talks in Switzerland on Sunday, June 21, PBS News reported.
The 60-day deadline sets the stage for a high-stakes diplomatic sprint. If no deal is reached, Trump’s toll plan—an unprecedented unilateral measure—could escalate into a direct confrontation over control of the world’s most critical oil chokepoint.
