U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 20 percent charge on all cargo vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, stating the fee would reimburse Washington for maintaining safe navigation through the waterway while reinstating a naval blockade on Iran. Trump argued that wealthy Persian Gulf states—including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait—should help cover the cost of American military protection. Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, publicly rejected any tolls on straits lacking man-made infrastructure, calling such charges a dangerous precedent and affirming his country’s support for unrestricted maritime passage. The Baltic and International Maritime Council warned the levy could further reduce already diminished shipping traffic through the strategic oil route.