President Donald Trump has suggested the United States may be looking to charge a toll in the Strait of Hormuz after the war, a move that would likely require direct US military control over the strategic waterway. Asked on Monday whether he would accept a deal that would allow Iran to take fees from ships to traverse the strait, the US president said: “What about us charging tolls? I’d rather do that than let them have them. Why shouldn’t we? We’re the winner. We won.”

Trump Claims Iran Has Been Militarily Defeated

Trump reiterated that Iran has been militarily defeated, a claim that he has been making since the early days of the war, despite Iran’s sustained drone and missile attacks across the region and its continuing blockade of Hormuz. “The only thing they have is the psychology of, ‘Oh, we’re going to drop a couple of mines in the water.’ All right, no, I mean, we have a concept where we’ll charge tolls,” Trump told reporters.

Hormuz, which connects the Gulf to the Indian Ocean, lies mostly within Omani and Iranian territorial waters, though About 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passed through the strait before the war. Trump’s latest comments came as he issued what he called a “final” ultimatum to Tehran to reopen the strait and agree to Washington’s terms or face attacks against Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants.

Iran Already Charging Tolls, Says Reports

The US president told reporters on Monday that any deal with Iran must include reopening the Strait of Hormuz. “We have to have a deal that’s acceptable to me, and part of that deal is going to be, we want free traffic of oil,” he said. Reports have suggested that Iran is already charging a toll for some of the few ships it is allowing to pass through the strait.

“The Strait of Hormuz situation won’t return to its pre-war status,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X last month. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also called for “new arrangements” to manage the waterway after the war, ensuring safe passage for ships and protecting Iran’s interests.

“I believe that after the war. The first step should be drafting a new protocol for the Strait of Hormuz,” he told Al Jazeera in March, as “Naturally, this should be done between the countries that lie on both sides of the strait.”

White House Considers Asking Arab Nations for War Costs

The White House said last week that Trump is considering asking Arab countries to pay for Washington’s expenses in its war on Iran. Trump’s comments on tolls have drawn attention from both domestic and international observers, as the control of Hormuz remains a critical issue for global trade and energy security. The strait has long been a flashpoint in US-Iran tensions, and any shift in its governance could have far-reaching implications for regional stability and global oil prices.

While Trump’s suggestion of a toll has not been officially confirmed, it aligns with his broader strategy of asserting US dominance in the region and securing economic benefits from the conflict. The idea of a toll, however, is not without precedent. In the past. Various international bodies and regional powers have discussed the possibility of implementing a fee system for the use of the strait, though no formal agreement has ever been reached.

Iran’s continued blockade of the strait has disrupted global shipping routes and raised concerns about the potential for a larger conflict. The US has been actively involved in efforts to maintain freedom of navigation in the region, and Trump’s comments suggest that the administration is exploring new ways to ensure that the US plays a central role in the governance of the waterway.

As the situation continues to develop, the international community will be watching closely to see whether Trump’s vision for a toll in the Strait of Hormuz becomes a reality. The potential for economic and political ramifications is significant, and the outcome could shape the future of US-Iran relations for years to come.