Trump’s Hormuz Toll Plan Collapses Under Pressure from Gulf Allies

The sudden declaration stunned both White House aides and regional partners, contradicting long-standing U.S. policy that prohibits tolls on international waterways. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had warned only weeks earlier that such levies violate established international law. Behind the scenes, officials scrambled to assess the feasibility of the plan, questioning how the U.S. could practically collect fees from global shipping companies or their regional allies.

Leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar bypassed standard channels to reach the president directly. Their lobbying efforts proved decisive: by Tuesday, Trump abandoned the toll in favor of a new agreement. Instead of paying transit fees, Gulf nations pledged to increase investments within the United States. Trump publicly justified the pivot by citing his relationships with regional monarchs and emirs, noting that these "strong partners" preferred an alternative economic arrangement.

The episode provided an immediate opening for Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi seized on the rhetoric, noting that the U.S. president had inadvertently validated Iran’s own long-standing argument that security providers in the strait deserve compensation. Araghchi quipped that while the concept of payment had merit, a 20 percent surcharge was excessive, promising that Iran would be "fairer" in its own approach to regional maritime control.