US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz is open to all ship traffic except vessels linked to Iran, and backtracked from imposing a 20 percent tariff, announcing a 'complete blockade' on ships heading to or from Iranian ports, as well as ships carrying cargo linked to Tehran.

Tehran said Tuesday it will not back down from its right to manage the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting any US role in determining the waterway's future, as Washington moved to reimpose a naval blockade on Iran and President Donald Trump proposed tariffs on transiting shipments in exchange for US protection.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that the flow of oil continues 'like never before,' thanks to what he described as the immense power of the US military, praising Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, and CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper.

He said the 'lying, violent, and malicious' Iranian leadership is driving the country toward 'total destruction,' confirming that the blockade will be limited to ships dealing with Iranian ports and cargoes.

Trump announced his withdrawal from the plan to impose a 20 percent US tariff on shipments transiting the strait, saying that after 'very productive talks' with leaders in the Middle East, he decided to replace the tariff with trade and investment agreements with regional countries.

He added that these investments would be 'massive,' leading to a flow of factories, facilities, and equipment into the United States, creating millions of high-paying American jobs.

Trump said 'America is winning again,' accusing Iran of killing hundreds of thousands, including 52,000 protesters, and reiterating his pledge that Tehran 'will never have a nuclear weapon.'

Trump speaking to journalists while signing an executive order in the Oval Office on Monday (EPA)

Brief notification to Congress

Trump formally notified Congress that the United States resumed combat operations against Iran on July 7, in a letter his administration considers to allow a new 60-day period for the use of military force without additional approval from lawmakers.

In the letter, Trump said he authorized operations as part of his responsibility to protect Americans, national security, and foreign policy interests, and accused Iran of violating the memorandum of understanding by attacking commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump had announced Monday the reimposition of a naval blockade on Iran, saying the Strait of Hormuz would remain open to other countries, while Iranian ships or vessels dealing with Tehran would be barred from entering or leaving Iranian ports.

Trump wrote on Truth Social: 'The Strait of Hormuz is open, and will remain open, with or without Iran. We are reimposing the blockade on Iran.'

He added that the United States will henceforth be known as the 'guardian of the Strait of Hormuz' and will charge a fee equivalent to 20 percent of the value of all shipments transiting the passage.

He said the fees would be used to compensate Washington for the costs of providing security and safety, and that all other countries would enjoy 'fair and open' use of the strait.

In remarks to journalists in the Oval Office, Trump said the United States is targeting 'Iranian capabilities related to the Strait of Hormuz,' and that the strikes aim to eliminate Tehran's ability to attack commercial ships.

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In other remarks, Trump said Iran would face 'very strong' attacks, adding: 'We will hit them hard tomorrow, and there is nothing they can do about it.' But he said the possibility of reaching an agreement with Iran still exists despite the reciprocal strikes.

Tehran insisted on a direct role in managing ship traffic and transit arrangements. Iran asserts that the arrangements for the strait are part of the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States, and that Washington backtracked on its commitments when it supported the creation of a navigational route not subject to Tehran's approval.

The Iranian 'Joint Staff Operations' said the United States has no role in determining the strait's future, and that Tehran will not allow Washington to interfere in its management.

Iranian army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami Nia also warned that the strait will not be opened by military pressure, stressing that the armed forces 'will not retreat an inch' from Iran's rights in it.

Akrami Nia said that 'respecting the rights of the Iranian people is the only way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz,' and that the armed forces informed Washington that any action in the strait outside the arrangements stipulated in the memorandum of understanding would face 'a decisive Iranian response.'

He added that the United States, under the memorandum of understanding ending the war, accepted Iran's arrangements regarding the strait, but later sought, as he put it, to create a new transit route 'through deception.'

He said: 'The Strait of Hormuz will never be opened by war, evil, and American aggressions,' affirming that the Iranian armed forces will stand 'to the last breath' in defending the country's rights in the passage.

Trump's proposal to impose a 20 percent fee was met with objection from the UN's International Maritime Organization, which said there is no legal basis for imposing mandatory fees on ships transiting straits used for international navigation.

Before the war, about a fifth of global oil and gas trade passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily, amounting to over 15 million barrels of fuel, worth about $1.2 billion.

A 20 percent fee, if applied to the total value of shipments, could generate about $240 million daily.

Brent crude oil prices rose to their highest in four weeks, exceeding $87 per barrel during Tuesday's trading, amid fears of the impact of the blockade and exchanges of attacks on energy supplies.

'Guardian' of the strait

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran 'was and will remain the guardian of the Strait of Hormuz,' in response to Trump's announcement that the United States will henceforth be known as the 'guardian' of the waterway.

Araghchi wrote on X: 'The US president is absolutely right. Everyone who ensures the safe passage of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz must be compensated.' He added, in a sarcastic tone: 'It is clear that the 20 percent is exaggerated. We will be fair.'

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei had said the memorandum of understanding has entered a 'crisis phase,' warning that his country will not adhere to its commitments if the United States does not fulfill its obligations.

Baghaei said Iran continues its consultations with Qatar, Pakistan, and Oman to prevent further escalation, but insists that navigation arrangements in the strait cannot be imposed on it unilaterally.

The Iranian parliament also entered the fray over the strait, after National Security Committee Chairman Ebrahim Azizi announced the submission of a draft law titled 'Strategic Action for the Security and Sustainable Development of the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Gulf.'

Azizi said the draft was formally submitted to parliament, and that MPs are 'steadfast in defending the red lines,' especially regarding the management of the Strait of Hormuz.

A screenshot from a video showing US strikes on an anchorage in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran (CENTCOM)