The President of the United States, Donald Trump, warned Iran this Thursday (09) about charging fees for vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz. “There is information that Iran is charging a fee to allow passage through Hormuz. It is better not to be and, if it is, better to stop now”, wrote Trump, on his Truth Social account, where he also said that the Iranians are doing a terrible job of allowing oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. “Iran is doing a terrible job, dishonorable, some would say. This is not the agreement we have!”, he declared.
This Thursday, Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said that the but did not give further details about what will be done. However, the international media warns of million-dollar fees being charged to cross Hormuz. Some values are estimated at US$2 million (around R$10 million reais).
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has become this Thursday. Just seven ships passed through the strait in the past 24 hours, compared with the usual 140 or so, according to tracking data.
Since Wednesday (08), Iran has been suggesting alternative routes. THE Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards around Larak Island to avoid the risk of naval mines on the usual routes through the strait, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday.
Oil will start flowing, says Trump
In another post, Trump said that ‘soon’ oil would start flowing very quickly, “with or without the help of Iran”, without providing further details. The statement was made when criticizing a publication by the North American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, in which the newspaper said that Trump’s speech about having won the war against Iran was not true. “Iran does not have nuclear weapons and you will quickly see the oil begin to flow, with or without Iran’s help,” he wrote.
This Thursday, two days after the two-week truce between the USA and Iran, oil closed again at a high. Hundreds of oil tankers and other ships have been trapped in the Persian Gulf since the start of the war with Iran on February 28reducing global oil supplies by 20% in the largest supply disruption in history.
Since Feb. 28, at least 23 Iranian-flagged oil tankers have arrived in Asia, keeping pace with pre-war levels, according to the U.S. rights group United Against Nuclear Iran, which monitors Iran-related traffic.
What is the Strait of Hormuz?
O operating as the natural border between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. In geopolitical and financial jargon, the region is classified as the main chokepoint energy (logistical bottleneck) in the world.
Approximately 20 million barrels of crude oil pass through its waters daily. The volume is equivalent to around 20% of global consumption of the input.
*With information from Reuters
