Trump abandons plan to charge fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump has taken a step back regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Stating that the Strait of Hormuz is open to all ships except those from Iran, Trump said, "The reason for Iran's exclusion is its lying, violent, and malicious administration, which is driving the country toward total ruin."

Reminding that the U.S. will implement a full-scale blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, "However, this blockade will only cover ships going to or coming from Iranian ports, or ships carrying Iranian cargo."

Addressing the 20 percent payment the U.S. was set to collect from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, "Following highly productive discussions with Middle Eastern leaders, I have decided to replace the 20 percent payment previously announced by the U.S. with trade and investment agreements that Gulf countries will make in the U.S. These investments will be very large and will also be extremely beneficial for the future of the Gulf countries."

Stating that the U.S. has hosted the largest dollar-denominated investments any country has ever received throughout history, Trump said, "With the new investments, this figure will grow even further. Factories, production facilities, and equipment on a historic scale will come to the U.S., and in this way, millions of new, high-paying jobs will be created. America is winning again, and like never before."

Claiming that Iran has killed thousands of protesters, Trump said, "The days when Iran killed hundreds of thousands of people, including 52,000 protesters, are over. Most importantly, Iran will never have a nuclear weapon."