Iran's foreign minister says Tehran should be paid for securing Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is the guarantor of security in the Strait of Hormuz and should receive compensation for ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels, responding to remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump about imposing transit fees. In a post on X, Araghchi said Iran is the guardian of the strait and that the party securing safe passage for commercial ships should be paid for the service. He did not specify a fee structure or timeframe. Araghchi also signaled that Iran would set its own transit charge, suggesting the 20 percent rate floated by Trump was too high and that Tehran would propose a more "fair" and more suitable figure. He did not name the alternative rate. Trump had said earlier that all cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz would face a 20 percent transit fee and that control of the waterway would pass to the United States. No further details on the proposed arrangement were immediately available.