President Donald Trump said the U.S. could impose tolls on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz if a temporary nuclear cease-fire with Iran collapses.

The threat targets one of the world's most critical oil transit chokepoints. By leveraging the waterway, the administration aims to pressure Tehran into a final nuclear accord while signaling a shift in U.S. regional dominance.

Trump made the comments Saturday, June 20, regarding the current 60-day [1] temporary cease-fire. The president linked the potential for new fees directly to the outcome of ongoing peace talks.

"No tolls will be imposed on transit through the Strait of Hormuz during or after the temporary 60‑day cease‑fire, unless the United States decides to introduce them if the peace talks collapse," Trump said [1].

The president suggested that the U.S. would assume a more aggressive role in the region if negotiations fail. He said that the U.S. may impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz if the peace deal fails [2].

This strategy is part of a broader warning regarding the consequences of a failed agreement. Trump said that if Tehran fails to reach a final nuclear accord, the U.S. will become the guardian of the Middle East and could take 20% [3] of the region’s revenues.

The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow waterway situated between Oman and Iran [4]. It serves as a vital artery for global energy markets, making any disruption, or new cost of transit, a matter of international economic concern.

The warnings come as the U.S. continues to negotiate the terms of a long-term nuclear agreement to prevent Iranian proliferation while maintaining regional security.

“The United States may impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz if the peace deal fails.”

The proposal to levy tolls in the Strait of Hormuz represents a shift toward using economic instruments of maritime control as diplomatic leverage. If implemented, such fees would likely increase global oil prices and challenge the traditional legal status of the waterway as an international transit passage, effectively treating the region's security as a paid service provided by the U.S.