Hormuz Blockade Returns, Trump Adds 20% Cargo Toll — $BTC Catches the 2 a.m. Knockout

President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that the United States is reinstating what he termed the "Iranian blockade" in the Strait of Hormuz, with U.S. forces authorized to stop Iranian-flagged vessels or ships carrying Iranian cargo in or out of the chokepoint. He wrote that the Strait of Hormuz "is open, and will remain open, with or without Iran," adding that "all other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait." Trump also said the U.S. would from now on be known as "THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT."

Alongside the blockade, the president disclosed a 20% fee that will be charged on all cargo the U.S. helps to escort through the waterway, with the revenue reimbursed to the United States. The fee applies to vessels receiving American assistance in transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which handles a significant share of global seaborne crude shipments.

The announcement marks an escalation in the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict and is the first formal U.S. maritime blockade specifically targeting Iranian shipping activity since the corridor last saw comparable measures. Trump framed the policy as a guarantee of free navigation for non-Iranian traffic while denying Iran the use of the same route for its exports.

Bitcoin dropped from a recent high above $64,000 as the blockade news reached markets, reflecting renewed risk-off positioning across digital assets. The Strait of Hormuz remains the world's most critical oil transit chokepoint, and any sustained disruption typically transmits quickly into both energy and crypto pricing.

The cargo fee structure and blockade rules take effect immediately under the president's directive, though operational specifics, including which U.S. naval assets will enforce the corridor and how the 20% levy will be collected, have not yet been detailed by the administration.