Iran Says Strait of Hormuz Not Fully Open, Will Charge Tolls to Cross

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Despite President Donald Trump’s assurances Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is “fully open” to tanker traffic, Iranian officials told mediators that’s not completely accurate, according to a new report.

The Wall Street Journal reported, “Iran has told mediators it will continue to limit the number of ships allowed to cross the Strait of Hormuz and charge tolls for the remaining period of the cease-fire, officials familiar with the matter said.”

“Only some commercial ships will be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on the condition of paying tolls,” Mahmoud Nabavian said. Nabavian is a conservative lawmaker and member of the negotiating team.

Ali Khezrian, a member of Iran’s National Security Commission in Parliament, confirmed the report to the Journal.

Under Iran’s proposal, it will be incumbent on tankers passing through the strait to “coordinate with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps” before being allowed through, the report said.

In addition, Iran plans to block ships sailing from countries it considers “hostile.”

Trump wrote a variety of posts on Friday touting victory in the strait, but claiming the U.S. blockade would continue.

“Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World!” Trump wrote.

Trump used Truth Social to deny an Axios report that claimed the U.S. was considering releasing $20 billion in frozen funds to Iran if the Islamic Republic hands over its uranium.

“The U.S.A. will get all Nuclear ‘Dust,’ created by our great B2 Bombers – No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form,” Trump wrote.

Although nothing has been formalized, and a second round of peace talks will take place this weekend in Islamabad, CBS News’s Weijia Jian reported that Trump told her Friday that Iran has “agreed to everything,” including the removal of its enriched uranium.

Trump added that the radioactive material will be brought to the U.S.

“Our people, together with the Iranians, are going to work together to go get it. And then we’ll take it to the United States,” he said.

However, Iranian officials told state TV that removal of its uranium was “not an option.”

“Iran’s enriched uranium is not going to be transferred anywhere; transferring uranium to the United States has not been an option for us,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told state TV.

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