Araghchi responds to Trump's toll plan: Iran is the eternal guardian of Hormuz; 20% is too much, we will be fair

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, responding to Donald Trump's plan to charge a 20% toll on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, wrote on Monday, July 13, 2026, that Iran "has always been the guardian of the Strait and will remain so forever." In a mocking tone he added that the US president is "absolutely right" that whoever secures safe passage through the waterway should be compensated, but "20% is of course too much; we will be fair."

The remarks came after Trump described the US as the "guardian of the Hormuz Strait" and announced the 20% cargo toll, a plan he backed away from a day later, on Tuesday, July 14. The ceasefire memorandum signed between Iran and the US in mid-June had prohibited any charges on commercial ships in the strait. The Strait of Hormuz carries about one fifth of the world's oil and gas, and developments there feed directly into oil prices and Iran's currency and gold markets.