US President Donald Trump says he wants to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed so Iran cannot tax those sailing through the channel.
“They want it open so they can make $500 Million a day,” Trump writes in his latest Truth Social post.
“They only say they want it closed because I have it totally BLOCKADED (CLOSED!). They merely want to save face,” he adds.
Trump doesn’t address the economic ramifications for the US and the rest of the world by Washington keeping Hormuz closed.
He appears to be departing from the Pentagon’s original framing of the US blockade as only being targeted at Iran-linked ships, rather than the entire strait.
Trump claims that if he agrees to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, “There can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their country, their leaders included!”
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
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