'20% is too much, we'll be fair': Iran mocks Trump's 'guardian of Hormuz' claim over transit fee

On 14 July 2026, Iran and the United States exchanged statements over transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said the US, not Iran, would collect tolls in the strait and that it was open to all shipping except Iran's. Iran's foreign minister mocked the demand, saying '20% is too much, we'll be fair', and Iran's vice president said Iran seeks lawful sovereignty over the strait.

Trump then dropped the 20% fee plan in favour of deals with Gulf states, according to Khaleej Times, and Dawn reported that new strikes hit Iran. China urged the US and Iran to avoid a return to war and backed the 'lawful rights' of coastal nations in Hormuz. The BBC's Lyse Doucet wrote that the strait remains the fault line as Iran and the US drift back toward war.