President Donald Trump has declared that the U.S. is considering taking control of the Strait of Hormuz permanently and expects compensation for the task.
In a telephonic interview with Fox News on Monday, Trump refuted Iran’s claims of having blocked the crucial waterway, stating, “We’re taking over the strait. They have nothing.”
He further detailed the possible role of the US, suggesting that it could become the “guardian angel of the strait,” and should be paid for it. “We guarded it for nothing, and now we’re going to guard it — we’re going to get Reimbursed for guarding it,” he said.
Trump wants the U.S. to get reimbursed and added, “the other nations are very wealthy, they are on our side and we can’t be expected to do it for nothing, unlike we had for many years.”
HAPPENING NOW: President Trump issues a scathing warning to Iran following a broken military agreement, revealing that the U.S. hammered their equipment overnight and may permanently take over security operations in the Middle East.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 13, 2026
"Most of their equipment is gone. Their… pic.twitter.com/ttcPSuBLH9
Trump’s comments followed a warning to Iran over an alleged violation of a military agreement, with him claiming the U.S. had severely damaged Iranian equipment and could permanently take over security operations in the Middle East.
“Every time they send a drone, we hit them very hard,” said the President.
He also expressed annoyance over Iran’s tendency to break agreements, hinting at further stringent actions against the nation.
“They always break it… so we’re just going to hit them very hard and we’re going to keep the Strait and we’ll probably run."
Read Also: Fresh US-Iran Strikes Slash Strait of Hormuz De-escalation Odds by 50%
Iran-U.S. Standoff Deepens
Iran accused the U.S. of violating the Islamabad Memorandum, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying Washington had undermined key parts of the agreement and pushed it into a “period of crisis.” He also called for justice over recent killings, insisted Iran had negotiated in good faith, and accused the U.S. and Israel of portraying themselves as victims.
He warned that U.S. military bases in the Persian Gulf remain potential targets and said U.S.-led naval escorts through the Strait of Hormuz could increase regional tensions and endanger commercial shipping.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that it launched a new wave of strikes against Iran, targeting dozens of sites to curb Tehran’s ability to threaten ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, while reiterating that Iran does not control the strategic waterway.
These escalating tensions have had a significant impact on oil markets. At the time of writing, Brent crude futures were trading 2.64% higher at $77.49 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures increased 2.97% to $73.48 per barrel.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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