'20% too much, Iran will be fair': Iranian FM Araghchi takes dig at Trump over Hormuz "guardian" remark
Tehran, July 14
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Monday mocked US President Donald Trump over recent remarks charging "20 per cent" over ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, describing Tehran as the one and only "guardian" of the region.
In a post on 'X'. Araghchi took a swipe at Trump, asserting that Iran will always remain the "guardian" of the Strait of Hormuz.
"POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service. Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER. 20% is of course too much. We will be fair," said Araghchi.
These remarks come in the backdrop of the renewed tensions between the US and Iran in the past few weeks.
Earlier today, US President Donald Trump said that the United States is "reinstating" the Iranian blockade and said that the US will charge "20 per cent" to provide security to the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic gateway.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump assured that the international maritime traffic through the critical shipping lane would not be closed to the rest of the world despite escalating regional tensions.
"The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran," Trump said. "We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran's ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait," he wrote.
Trump claimed that a 20 per cent levy on transiting cargo is a necessary measure to cover the operational expenses of securing the volatile shipping lane.
"The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as 'THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,' but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World. President DONALD J. TRUMP," he added.
The President added that the deployment and institutionalisation of this protection-and-reimbursement model would be enacted without delay, concluding that "the process and formation will begin immediately."
On the other hand, Iran issued a stern warning against the US, reaffirming its authority over the Strait of Hormuz, dismissing Washington's intervention in its management.
According to Press TV, the spokesperson of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaghari, affirmed that Iran will not, "under any circumstances, allow the US to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz."
— ANI
Reader Comments
I love how Iran's FM is basically trolling Trump with that "20% is too much, we'll be fair" statement. 😂 But jokes aside, this is serious for India. We're heavily dependent on Gulf oil, and any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz hits our economy hard. Both sides need to de-escalate, but Trump's approach of naming himself 'Guardian' and charging fees sounds like something from a fantasy novel.
It's ironic that Trump says he's "reinstating the Iranian blockade" when he's literally trying to blockade Iranian shipping himself. 🤔 The man loves his branding - "Guardian of the Hormuz Strait" - but international law doesn't work that way. Iran has legitimate security concerns in their backyard, but threatening to close the strait is also not acceptable. India should push for a neutral arrangement through the IMO or something.
This is just more grandstanding from both sides. Trump wants to look tough, Iran wants to assert sovereignty. Meanwhile, Indian sailors and shipping companies are caught in the middle. We've already seen Indian-flagged vessels get caught up in these tensions before. The 20% fee is ridiculous, and Iran's "forever guardian" claim is equally absurd. Time for mature diplomacy, not Twitter wars.
Honestly, Trump's "20% levy" idea shows he thinks the world is his business venture. 🙄 And Iran's response is clever but also concerning - they're basically saying they'll charge less, which implies they agree with the principle of charging for passage. As an Indian, I'm worried about our energy security. We need to diversify our oil imports and also have a diplomatic plan B, because these two are clearly not going to see eye to eye.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.