U.S. President Donald Trump said on June 24 that the Iranian regime has told the United States it is not imposing tolls or fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a response to recent reports saying otherwise.
“Iran has informed the U.S. that, despite troublemaking Fake News reporting to the contrary, there are ‘no tolls, no insurance costs, & no other charges of any kind being sought or received by Iran on ships traveling the Strait of Hormuz,’” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post in mostly capital letters.
When the strait was shut down, the prices of gasoline and oil skyrocketed; the price of Brent crude often reached more than $100 per barrel. Since the memorandum of understanding was signed by the United States and Iran, the prices of gasoline in the United States and oil have declined; gas prices dropped to about $3.90 per gallon on average.
Trump said that “no money has been given to Iran” after the two countries signed the memorandum of understanding to end the conflict last week.
The signing of the memorandum started a 60-day clock for the sides to reach a broader agreement over ending Iran’s nuclear program. Some Republicans in Congress have particularly objected to the $300 billion fund to help Iran rebuild.
“We will be releasing some of their money, that is totally controlled by us, to our Farmers and Ranchers, for the purchase of Corn, Wheat, Soybeans, and more,” Trump wrote in his post. “Food is desperately needed in Iran, and we will be purchasing it for them exclusively from the United States.”
Tehran and Washington, which ended a first round of negotiations in Switzerland on June 22, have offered differing accounts about financial incentives for Iran, control of the Strait of Hormuz, Israel’s parallel war in Lebanon, and whether United Nations inspectors can review Iran’s nuclear program.
The Trump administration has said that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon and must either hand over hundreds of pounds of highly enriched uranium or dilute the material.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in a post on X that no meeting was held in Switzerland with U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi, despite Grossi’s request. Gharibabadi said there were currently no plans to grant access to nuclear facilities that had been attacked or to nuclear materials.
“These issues will solely be examined and resolved within the framework of the final agreement and as a result of the other party’s practical action in terminating all sanctions,” he wrote on June 24.
On June 23, the Senate voted 50–48 in favor of a war powers resolution that passed in the House of Representatives early this month, reflecting growing concern about the conflict that has gone on since Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched an attack on the Iranian regime.
In a Truth Social post on the evening of June 23, Trump criticized the move, calling it a “poorly timed and meaningless” vote that will “provide aid and comfort to the enemy.”
“These Senators have just made my job more difficult, but I will get it done, one way or the other, because I always get it done!” he wrote.
Reuters contributed to this report.
