Trump Denies Iran Toll for Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran had informed the US it would not charge fees for ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz, pushing back against media reports that Tehran was seeking to impose a toll on the vital waterway.

The reports had stirred fears of a new disruption at the world's most important oil chokepoint. The Strait handles roughly one-fifth of global crude shipments. Any toll would have effectively raised the cost of transit for tankers, threatening to tighten supply and lift prices.

Trump denied the claim directly. "They told us there would be no fees," he said, without providing additional detail on the communication channel or timing. The comments appeared aimed at calming market anxiety after the earlier reports.

The denial removes what had been a fresh source of geopolitical risk for oil traders. Still, the Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint. Iran's history of targeting shipping gives the region a persistent risk premium that no single statement can erase.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has yet to comment on the US account. The denial stands until Tehran confirms or contradicts it.