President Donald Trump, amid an ongoing U.S. military campaign against Iran that resumed after a brief ceasefire collapsed in early July, recently asserted American control over the Strait of Hormuz and proposed a 20 percent toll on passing ships — a plan he quickly reversed without explanation. His earlier declaration, made about a month ago when announcing a now-defunct truce, claimed the waterway would open toll-free; however, Iran retained de facto authority under the ceasefire’s terms. The strait, through which a quarter of global oil passes, has become central to Iran’s asymmetric leverage. The administration has not detailed how it would seize control, and the episode underscores the volatile, shifting nature of Trump’s wartime decisions.