US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would not accept any agreement with Iran that imposed fees on shipping or maritime activity through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that such a move would set a precedent for other strategic waterways around the world.

Speaking to reporters during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump also expressed confidence about ongoing negotiations with Iran, claiming that Tehran was making significant concessions while asserting that the United States was in a strong position following its military confrontation with Iran.

Trump Rejects Strait Of Hormuz Shipping Fees

Responding to a question on whether he would oppose a final agreement that included charges on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said such a provision would be unacceptable.

“Yeah it would be unacceptable to me because we have numerous straits that if you did that for them you’d have to do it for other people. You have other straits, well I wouldn’t allow it there either. Yeah it would be a game changer,” Trump said.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, carrying a significant share of global oil shipments and international trade.

Trump Defends Iran Strategy, Attacks Democrats

During the interaction, Trump also defended his administration’s handling of the conflict with Iran and criticised political opponents over their stance on the issue.

Referring to a congressional vote, Trump said, “So we’re doing great in our negotiations with Iran. Right in the middle of one of the key things which we’re going to get anyway we got… We had four Republican Senators and all Democrats. You know Democrats they want to lose the war because they’re stupid. That’s why we call them DUMocrats you know I no longer use the E I use I’ve changed the E into a U. We call them DUMocrats they’re dumb. Their policy is so bad.”

Trump further claimed that the military campaign and diplomatic efforts were producing results. “The war is going very well. As you know, we’re winning by a lot. Iran is making very big concessions. We’ll see what happens. But it’s been very, very, very powerful. It’s going very, very well,” he said.

Oil Prices And Iran’s Response

Trump also highlighted recent movements in oil markets after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that crude prices had fallen to around USD 70 a barrel, their lowest level since before the Iran conflict.

Commenting on the decline, Trump said, “I see that oil just broke the $70 number. Who would have thought that was going to happen? And that’s during a war. And Iran is being very nice. They’re agreeing to everything that I want and they have to. Otherwise, we just go back and do what we have to do.”

Meanwhile, Iran pushed back against the US position. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei criticised American policies in the region while responding to a post by the US Department of State on X.

In his post, Baqaei said, “No one will be fooled; we can’t have a peaceful region so long as American militarism and interventionism persist, and their occupying proxy continues, with absolute impunity, to inflict endless wars across the region and perpetrate genocide, terror violence and every atrocities.”

His remarks underscored the continuing tensions between Tehran and Washington despite indications that negotiations between the two countries remain active.

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