Trump Declares Hormuz ‘Open to ALL’ Except Iran, Warning Regime Faces ‘TOTAL DESTRUCTION’

(Portsmouth, England, UK)

President Donald Trump announced a “FULL Blockade” on Iranian shipping on Wednesday as he declared the Strait of Hormuz open to international traffic while warning Tehran it was on the path to “TOTAL DESTRUCTION” after another night of escalating military strikes.

In a lengthy Truth Social post in the early morning, Trump said the vital waterway was now open to “ALL Ship traffic except for Iran” following the latest U.S. military operations, crediting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper for restoring security in the Gulf.

“We will therefore have a FULL Blockade, but only on Ships coming to and from Iranian ports, or carrying anything have to do with Iranian cargo,” Trump wrote.

(Screengrab via Truth Social)

The announcement came hours after the U.S. military said it had struck “dozens” of targets across Iran overnight. Iranian state media reported that seven military personnel were killed in attacks on an army base. Iran responded by announcing attacks on U.S. military facilities across the Gulf.

Trump also reiterated that he was formally abandoning a proposal unveiled just a day earlier to impose a 20% U.S. reimbursement fee on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The idea, which prompted questions over how it could be implemented or enforced under international law, had been framed by the president as a response to Iran’s efforts to profit from one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes. Instead, Trump said he had reached an alternative arrangement with Gulf partners.

“Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States,” he wrote, adding that the investments would be “MASSIVE.”

“The days of Iran killing hundreds of thousands of people, including 52,000 protestors, are OVER,” Trump wrote. “IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!”

The blockade follows the reimposition of U.S. Central Command’s naval restrictions on Iranian ports, which took effect at midnight Tuesday.

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