US President Donald Trump announced Monday the reimposition of a naval blockade on Iranian ports, alongside the launch of an American operation he said was "to protect the Strait of Hormuz."

Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform that "the United States will reimpose the naval blockade on Iran."

He also affirmed that his country "will charge a 20 percent fee on all goods shipped through the Strait of Hormuz."

Trump added that the operation "will begin immediately," without going into details.

The US president's statements come after Tehran said it had closed the strait, as military operations between Washington and Tehran escalated over the past few days.

Earlier on Monday, Trump announced that the United States would take control of the Strait of Hormuz, a move Iran later warned of its repercussions.

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The latest hostilities followed Iran's announcement over the weekend that it was closing the strait, increasing doubts about the viability of any temporary ceasefire agreement in the Middle East and driving oil prices higher.

Shipping data on Monday showed that the number of ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday fell to its lowest level in two months, amid renewed mutual strikes between the United States and Iran and attacks on ships in the Middle East, raising growing safety concerns.

Shipping sources said that ships are increasingly turning off their Automatic Identification System transponders, making it difficult to determine the full number of vessels crossing the strait.

Analysis by Kepler of available data revealed that tanker and gas carrier traffic fell to its lowest level since May 25.

Shipbroker Gibson said in a report, "If the renewed escalation in the Strait of Hormuz leads to its closure for another prolonged period, the world will find itself in a more difficult position."

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