‘We’re Taking Over’: Trump Claims US Will Take Over Strait of Hormuz For a Fee; Iran Vows Never to Back Down

Amid intensifying geopolitical friction, President Donald Trump declared that the United States is moving toward assuming operational control over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking in a phone interview on Fox News' Fox & Friends, Trump detailed a proposal to establish a permanent, paid American presence to secure the global oil shipping route. "We're taking over the strait," Trump asserted. "We're going to keep the strait, and we'll probably run it. We'll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we'll call it the guardian angel of the strait."

The President further emphasized that Washington expects financial compensation from other wealthy nations for policing the international channel, stating, "We should be reimbursed for that" and adding, "We're going to get paid for guarding the strait."

Accusations of a Broken Deal

Beyond the maritime proposal, Trump leveled harsh criticism at Tehran’s leadership, labeling them "a bad group of people." He accused Iran of violating a previous, unspecified understanding with Washington. "We had a deal and they broke it," Trump remarked, without clarifying which specific agreement he was referring to. He further claimed that "Iran has nothing" to block the US from moving forward with its plans.

Iran Vows Defiance, Invokes Battle of Ahad

Tehran immediately hit back at the White House's rhetoric, firmly declaring that it will never "back down" on its sovereignty over the shipping lane. Dr. Mohammad Mokhber, Advisor and Aide to the Supreme Leader and member of the Expediency Discernment Council, forcefully rejected the US narrative in a statement posted on X. Comparing the modern defense of the strait to the historical Islamic Battle of Ahad, Mokhber emphasized that the waterway holds an irreplaceable economic, strategic, and security value for the Iranian public.

"We defend it so that in the future, for the passage of our ships, we are not forced to pay tribute to the enemy," Mokhber countered. He concluded by warning that any retreat from this vital national interest "has no place in the mind of any friend of Iran."