Trump says Iran 'better not be' charging tolls for ships passing through Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran should not be charging tolls for any ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that they should immediately halt the practice if it has already begun.

"There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait — They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Later, Trump said in a separate post that Iran is "doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say," of allowing oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz.

"That is not the agreement we have!" he added.

Earlier Thursday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei said management of the Strait of Hormuz will “certainly enter a new phase” and vowed that Tehran will demand compensation for all war-related damages.

Khamenei stressed that Iran will pursue legal and material accountability for damages.

“We will certainly not leave the criminal aggressors who attacked our country unpunished,” he said.

He added that Iran will “demand compensation for all damages, as well as the blood of the martyrs and the wounded.”

The remarks come as Iran prepares to negotiate with the United States in Pakistan, expected to begin Saturday under Pakistan’s mediation.

Iran has said the talks aim to finalize details of a potential agreement, emphasizing that it does not signify the end of the conflict.

Khamenei also warned that Iran remains ready to respond to any renewed aggression.

“Our hands are on the trigger,” he said, adding that any mistake by adversaries would be met with a decisive response.