Donald Trump announced a 20% toll program for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump announced in a post on the social media platform Truth Social that he has canceled a plan to impose a 20% levy on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. He said the reason for the change was “very constructive talks with Middle Eastern leaders,” adding that these levies would be replaced by sweeping “trade and investment agreements” by Gulf states in the United States. Praising the U.S. military, Trump stressed that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to all ships except vessels linked to Iran. Accusing leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran of “violent and destructive” behavior, he confirmed that a complete naval blockade would apply only to ships traveling to or from Iranian ports or carrying Iranian cargo. The U.S. president concluded by saying that the era of killings by the Iranian government, including the killing of thousands of protesters, has ended, and emphasized: “Iran will never obtain a nuclear weapon.”