Trump warns US will administer Strait of Hormuz and receive payment for guardian role

President Donald Trump has announced that Washington is taking control of the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that his country will be financially rewarded for securing this vital international maritime corridor.

During a conversation with Fox News, the president hinted that U.S. forces could take over the duty of protecting this strategic passage. “It is likely that the United States will manage the Strait of Hormuz. If we administer it, we will get paid for it. We will become its guardians and will be rewarded for this service,” he said, adding that “we are already taking control of the Strait.”

These comments come at a time when relations between Washington and Tehran have sharply and rapidly deteriorated.

Based on information from Axios, U.S. forces have carried out a new round of strikes against Iranian positions. According to an announcement by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), a considerable number of targets across various locations were bombarded with precision weapons, with the aim of minimizing Iran’s capacity to take hostile actions against commercial shipping in the strait area.

The U.S. forces’ offensive was a direct response to the launch of a missile by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against a civilian vessel, as well as to Iran’s repeated warnings that it would blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

In retaliation for U.S. military actions, IRGC troops attacked American bases located in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain, thereby raising concerns about a further expansion of clashes throughout the Middle East region.