Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have escalated after Donald Trump proposed a 20% transit fee for commercial shipping, drawing a swift response from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Araghchi said maritime security has value but rejected the proposed toll as excessive, insisting that Iran has always been the "guardian" of the Strait of Hormuz and would continue to play that role. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the U.S. military is preparing a maritime blockade targeting Iranian ports and oil export terminals. According to the report, commercial vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports could be stopped, boarded or seized, while neutral shipping bound for non-Iranian destinations would still be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz. The developments mark another major escalation in the growing U.S.-Iran confrontation over one of the world's most strategically important waterways.
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