A statement by Donald Trump about imposing a 20% tariff on all cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz has triggered immediate international reactions. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called the approach unacceptable, while a reaction also came from Tehran that, according to the version made public so far, treats the issue as a debate over control and the cost of security in one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors.
What Trump announced about Hormuz
According to the announcement published by Trump on the Truth Social platform, the US would impose a 20% tariff on all cargo transported through the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier in the day, he also said that his administration would reinstate the blockade of Iranian ports in this strategic maritime area.
According to Trump’s claim, the revenue from this tariff would be used to finance measures that, he said, would guarantee security and keep open one of the most important global maritime transport routes.
Lula: The US cannot turn into a “pirate”
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva publicly reacted to the plan announced by Trump, criticizing it in direct terms.
At an event in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, Lula said that a country such as the United States, which according to him has long fought against piracy, cannot now behave like a “pirate.”
His reaction places the emphasis on the legitimacy of such a measure and on how a major power can justify charging for passage through an international corridor of high geopolitical and commercial weight.
Iran also enters the debate
After Trump’s statement, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also reacted.
In a post on X, he said that the security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz has a cost and that whoever guarantees the safe passage of commercial ships should be compensated for this service.
In the same reaction, Araghchi added that Iran has been the “guardian” of the strait and will remain so, but considered the 20% level excessive, saying that the Iranian side would be “fair.”
A maritime corridor with global weight
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most sensitive chokepoints for global trade and energy, so any statement about tariffs, blockades or control of passage immediately produces political tension.
So far, what is known is based on the public statements of the actors involved. The material does not contain further details on the practical implementation of the announced measure, the timeline or the concrete consequences for commercial traffic.
For now, the debate has opened at the level of public statements, but the weight of the Strait of Hormuz makes any threat of tariffs or restrictions an issue with consequences beyond the region.
Whether Trump’s announcement will remain political pressure or be followed by concrete steps remains to be seen.