President Donald Trump accused Iran this Friday of doing "a very poor job, disgraceful some would say," by allowing oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and warned that this behavior violates the ceasefire agreement reached just two days prior.
Trump posted the message on his profile at Truth Social with a direct warning tone: "Iran is doing a very poor job, some would say disgraceful, by allowing oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the agreement we have!"
In the same post, Trump went further and threatened Iran over the tolls it charges ships passing through the strait: "They better not be doing it, and if they are, they better stop now!"
The leader also warned that oil will flow through the strait "with or without Iran's help," leaving open the possibility of a stronger response if Tehran does not comply with the agreement.
The two-week ceasefire, announced last Tuesday and mediated by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, included as a central condition the "complete, immediate, and safe" reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
However, the agreement showed fragility from the very beginning: Iran briefly reopened the Strait on the same Tuesday, but closed it again that same day following Israeli attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
For today, traffic through the strait remains at minimal levels: only five ships transited on Tuesday compared to 74 on February 28, before the conflict began.
Iran has not only restricted passage but also charges tolls of over one million dollars per ship to allow transit, demanded in Chinese yuan and cryptocurrencies for tankers escorted by the Revolutionary Guard.
The Iranian Parliament formalized these charges on March 30 through a law that imposes up to two million dollars per trip, in a scheme that could generate up to 500 billion dollars for the regime.
The White House spokesperson reiterated on Thursday that Trump demands the immediate, swift, and safe reopening of the strait without restrictions such as tolls.
Between 20% and 25% of the world's maritime oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making its closure an energy crisis of global significance.
The crisis was triggered on February 28, 2026 when the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury, which destroyed 90% of Iran's missile arsenal and 95% of its drones. Iran responded by closing the strait on March 4 with mines, drones, and missiles, causing the price of Brent crude to surge from 67 to over 126 dollars per barrel and stranding about 2,000 ships with 20,000 sailors.
The in-person negotiations between Washington and Tehran were scheduled for today in Islamabad, Pakistan, amid rising tensions due to Iran's non-compliance with the agreement.
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