President Donald Trump speaks to press at the White House, in Washington, April 6, 2026.<\/p>\n
Kyle Mazza | Anadolu | Getty Images<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump<\/a> on Thursday said that Iran<\/a> “better stop now” if it’s charging fees to oil<\/a> tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>.<\/p>\n Trump’s warning in a Truth Social post<\/a> put even more strain on the fragile ceasefire<\/a> between the U.S. and Iran less than two days after it began.<\/p>\n Trump said Tuesday evening that the U.S. would agree to a two-week suspension of hostilities against the Islamic Republic on the condition that it agree to “the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.”<\/p>\n But vessel traffic through the strait, a vital artery for about 20% of the world’s oil supply, remains tightly throttled, as it has since the war began on Feb. 28.<\/p>\n Iran is meanwhile planning to charge shipping firms fees, to be paid in cryptocurrency, to allow their vessels to sail through the waterway, the Financial Times reported<\/a> Wednesday.<\/p>\n “There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait,” Trump wrote in Thursday’s post.<\/p>\n “They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!” he wrote.<\/p>\n In a follow-up post<\/a>, Trump said, “Because of me, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON and, very quickly, you’ll see Oil start flowing, with or without the help of Iran and, to me, it makes no difference, either way.”<\/p>\n Trump’s post also lashed out at The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board for writing<\/a> that the president had declared victory against Iran prematurely. “Actually, it is a Victory, and there’s nothing “premature” about it!” he wrote.<\/p>\n