'Scam confligration': Trump issues new warning to 'countries of the world' over Hormuz

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump revived his demand for reimbursement over the Strait of Hormuz, saying countries that benefit from US protection “should, and will, reimburse” America.

Trump had abandoned a proposed 20% fee on cargo moving through the Strait in July, replacing it with planned trade and investment deals.

He renewed the reimbursement demand in a Truth Social post on Monday, September 14, while discussing oil flows through the waterway.

Trump revives his Hormuz reimbursement demand

Trump wrote that “Oil is flowing through the Hormuz Strait” and argued that countries around the world had provided no help to the United States.

“The Countries of the World, which have been no help to us whatsoever, should, and will, reimburse the United States of America when this SCAM Confligration is all over,” Trump wrote.

He added that the United States was doing more for other countries than for itself and had been doing so “for Generations.”

The renewed demand follows Trump's earlier push to make countries benefiting from protection of commercial shipping pay the United States.

On July 13, Trump specifically named Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain as countries he said should reimburse the US for protecting ships through the Strait.

“Yeah, I want to be reimbursed because we’re protecting a very rich portion of the world, we’re spending money, and so what we’ve done is we are going to be reimbursed for protection,” Trump said in the Oval Office, as per The Hill.

He said the countries would “do very well” and that the United States had been effective in protecting them.

President Trump had already dropped the 20% fee

Trump's July proposal called for a 20% fee on secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz as a way for the United States to be reimbursed, as per the outlet. 

The proposal came after Trump announced that the US would become the “guardian” of the Strait and reinstate a naval blockade against Iran.

But one day later, Trump reversed course and said Gulf countries would instead make trade and investment deals with the United States, according to PBS.

“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,” Trump said, as per the outlet.

He said the investments would be “MASSIVE,” though the report said it was unclear whether they represented new commitments compared with earlier announcements.

Iran disputed Trump's claim over the Strait

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi pushed back on Trump's earlier reimbursement proposal in July, arguing that Iran should receive payment for securing the waterway, the Hill reported.

“POTUS is absolutely right,” Araghchi wrote on social media. “Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service.”

Araghchi then disputed Trump's claim over who should receive that compensation.

“Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER,” he wrote, while saying Iran would be “fair” and that 20% was too much.

The dispute came as the Strait became the focus of the conflict involving Iran. 

Iran had attacked and threatened commercial vessels moving through the waterway, while the United States threatened to reopen the passage by force, according to a report by PBS.

Trump's latest post does not mention a new percentage fee.

Instead, it revives his broader demand that countries reimburse the United States after his July decision to replace the proposed fee with trade and investment arrangements.