Trump urges Iran to stop charging fees to tankers passing Hormuz Strait

Trump urges Iran to stop charging fees to tankers passing Hormuz Strait

Summary

• US President Donald Trump said on Thursday there are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that such measures “better not be” happening and must stop immediately.

• A long message attributed to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed to “not let go” of attackers, seek compensation and “avenge” the dead, warned it would take Hormuz Strait “to a new phase,” and urged Arab neighbors to “stand in the right place” and turn away from Western powers.

• Iran's leaders are "agreeing to all the things that they have to agree to. Remember, they’ve been conquered. They have no military. If they don’t make a deal, it’s going to be very painful,” Trump told NBC on Thursday.

• Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, said Tehran may consider entering negotiations with the United States if Washington stops what he described as repeated violations of commitments, while warning that hostilities could resume otherwise.

• Iran’s nationwide internet blackout has entered its 41st day, with disruption exceeding 960 hours, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.

• Iran’s nuclear chief said on Thursday that demands by adversaries to limit the country’s uranium enrichment program would fail.

• No Iraqi oil tanker has passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire between Iran and the United States was announced, Iraq’s oil ministry said on Thursday.

• The Strait of Hormuz has been fully closed, forcing oil tankers to turn back, Iran's state-run Press TV reported on Wednesday.

• Vice President JD Vance said Tehran’s negotiators thought the US-Iran ceasefire agreed on Tuesday included Lebanon, but Washington had ​in ⁠fact not ‌agreed to ​that.

• Iran’s parliamentary speaker said several key clauses of Tehran’s proposed framework for negotiations with the United States have already been violated, casting doubt on the basis for talks expected to begin in Pakistan.

  Netanyahu aide says US and Israel in ‘complete agreement’

  Ophir Falk, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief foreign policy adviser, said on Thursday Israel and the United States are in “complete agreement” amid ongoing regional tensions.

  Speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press NOW, Falk described a recent strike on Beirut as the largest operation against Hezbollah leadership since 2024.

  Asked about the objective of Israel’s campaign against Iran, he said it remains to “remove the existential threat” posed by the Iranian leadership, including its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities.

  
  

  Bahrain sends UN letter condemning Iran missile and drone attacks

  Bahrain’s mission to the United Nations on Thursday sent a letter to the UN secretary-general and the Security Council condemning what it described as Iranian missile and drone attacks on the kingdom and the region.

  The letter, submitted on behalf of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, said the attacks since February 28 violate international law, the UN Charter and state sovereignty.

  It urged the Security Council to take necessary measures to ensure Iran complies with its obligations and halts what it described as violations, while reaffirming Gulf states’ right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

  
  

  UK foreign minister rejects idea of Iran imposing tolls in Strait of Hormuz

  UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is a “fundamental principle” of international maritime law, rejecting any unilateral move to impose charges on shipping.

  In an interview with Channel 4 aired on Thursday, she said the Strait is part of international shipping routes linking the high seas and argued that no country can “unilaterally go against the law of the sea” by imposing tolls.

  Strait of Hormuz shipping tolls would break law of the sea, says Yvette Cooperhttps://t.co/F5WWbPRWmW

  — Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) April 9, 2026

  Strait of Hormuz traffic drops to six vessels on Thursday, data shows

  A total of six ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, according to data compiled by the global ship tracking firm MarineTraffic, CBS reported. 

  They included two oil, chemical or liquefied gas tankers, three cargo ships, and one bunkering vessel supplying fuel to other ships.

  The figure compares with five cargo ships on Wednesday, with no oil, chemical or liquefied gas tankers recorded that day. On Tuesday, when a ceasefire was announced, 11 ships transited the strait, including nine tankers.

  MarineTraffic data also showed that since February 28, at least 212 oil, chemical or liquefied gas tankers have crossed the strait, accounting for about 58% of all vessels passing through.

  More....