US Launches New Attacks on Iran, Transit Fee Crisis in Strait of Hormuz Deepens

The US announced that it has launched a new series of military attacks against Iran. President Donald Trump announced that the blockade on Iranian ports would be reinstated and that fees would be collected for other ships making safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. This situation increases the risk of all-out war breaking out again in the region following the collapse of the temporary ceasefire agreement reached last month.

The Trump administration, stating that the costs of providing security in the strait must be compensated, announced a plan for a 20 percent fee based on the value of the cargo carried by the ships. This policy change by the US, which previously argued that passage through these waters should be free, was criticized by the International Maritime Organization, which emphasized that a mandatory transit fee in international waters lacks legal basis.

Iran, on the other hand, continues to see itself as the actual controller of the strait and promises to oppose US intervention. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mocked Trump's transit fee demand, using this situation to support Iran's legitimate rights in the strait. The reflection of these tensions on global markets was swift, and the price per barrel of Brent crude oil increased by 7.8 percent.