Verification result: verified, because at least two independent reporting families directly support the central claim and no validated material contradiction was provided. [S1][S3]
Trump said the U.S. would become “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT” and be reimbursed “at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped,” while also saying other countries would have fair and open use of the strait. [S3]
Multiple reports corroborate that Trump also announced a renewed blockade aimed at Iranian ports, ships, or customers. [S3][S7]
On July 14, Trump reversed the 20% toll proposal, with the Guardian reporting that he backed down and PolitiFact reporting that he reversed course within a day. [S1][S4]
The toll plan’s legal basis was materially disputed: PolitiFact characterized it as unprecedented and likely illegal, and Al Jazeera quoted the UN shipping agency saying there was no legal basis for mandatory strait transit tolls. [S4][S5]
The operational status of the Strait of Hormuz was also disputed, because Trump said it would remain open, while CBS reported Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority said passage was currently unfeasible. [S3]
The episode occurred amid renewed military exchanges, with the Guardian reporting U.S. strikes on Iranian port cities and Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Jordan, and UAE-associated tankers. [S1]
Limitations: the sources agree on the core sequence, but current blockade implementation and real-time navigability remain time-sensitive and partly disputed. [S1][S3]