Trump withdraws Hormuz tolls threat but says US will continue to blockade Iran

What Happened

For a third consecutive day, the US military conducted strikes across Iran, including the port cities of Bushehr and Bandar Abbas, in operations it said were meant to degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping. Iran retaliated by striking Bahrain—host to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet—Jordan, which houses US air force assets, and two oil tankers associated with the United Arab Emirates in the Strait of Hormuz. Bahrain intercepted several attacks and accused Iran of targeting civilians in Manama; Jordan intercepted four missiles. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed the tanker attacks, stating the vessels ignored repeated warnings. One Indian seafarer died and ten others were wounded, prompting a strong protest from India. The UAE threatened retaliation. These exchanges occur amid a fragile 60-day memorandum of understanding meant to facilitate truce negotiations, now roughly halfway elapsed with little progress on the strait, Iran’s nuclear programme, or regional issues. Separately, US President Donald Trump declared the US would control the Strait of Hormuz and charge ships a toll of up to 20% of cargo value for safe passage, a stance Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called unfair.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The spiralling direct exchanges risk a return to all-out US–Iran war, reversing the four-month conflict’s stalemate and undermining the ongoing truce negotiations. Trump’s plan to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz overturns decades of US freedom-of-navigation policy, threatening global shipping norms and energy markets—oil prices hit a four-week high. Iran’s widening strikes against US allies Bahrain and Jordan draw more states into the confrontation, while civilian casualties invite diplomatic protests and potential escalation with India and the UAE.

Watch For

Monitor whether the 60-day MoU timeline can still yield a ceasefire, with negotiations now under severe strain. Watch for Iranian replies to the US toll proposal and any concrete US moves to enforce it. Track whether Bahrain, Jordan, or the UAE escalate militarily beyond intercepts and warnings. The Lebanese–Israeli talks in Rome on southern Lebanon’s occupation may also be upended by the region-wide tension.