US proposes 20% fee on cargo ships transiting Hormuz, Italy says no

President Trump announced on Monday that the United States would re‑impose a naval blockade on Iran and charge a twenty‑percent surcharge on all merchant vessels using the Hormuz Strait to cover security expenses. Italy’s foreign minister responded immediately, drawing a distinction between artificial canals like Suez or Panama, where tolls are acceptable, and natural straits that should stay toll‑free. He called the US plan "unacceptable" for export‑driven economies such as Italy.