US warns shipping firms over paying tolls in Strait of Hormuz; Iran says war 'likely' to restart
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump launched a fresh attack on Iran, stating that “lunatics” can’t be allowed to have nuclear weapons
The United States is warning shipping companies that they could face sanctions for making payments to Iran to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The alert posted on Friday (May 1) by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) adds another layer of pressure in the standoff between the US and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Payment demands
About a fifth of the world's trade in oil and natural gas typically passes through the strait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf in peacetime.
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Iran effectively closed the strait to normal traffic by attacking and threatening to attack ships after the US and Israel launched a war on February 28. It later began offering some ships safe passage by detouring them through alternate routes closer to its shoreline, charging fees at times for the service.
That "tollbooth” effort is the focus of the US sanctions warning.
The payment demands could include transfers not only in cash but also “digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments”, including charitable donations and payments at Iranian embassies, OFAC said.
“OFAC is issuing this alert to warn US and non-US persons about the sanctions risks of making these payments to, or soliciting guarantees from, the Iranian regime for safe passage. These risks exist regardless of payment method,” it said.
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The US responded to Iran's closure of the strait with a naval blockade of its own on April 13, preventing any Iranian tankers from leaving and depriving Iran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.
The US Central Command said 45 commercial ships have been told to turn around since the blockade began.
Trump’s fresh attack on Iran
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump launched a fresh attack on Iran, stating that “lunatics” can’t be allowed to have nuclear weapons.
“You know, we're in a war because I think you would agree we cannot let lunatics have a nuclear weapon. Do you agree?” Trump said during an address in Florida, and it was met with thunderous applause from the crowd.
He also rejected Tehran’s latest proposal to end the war between the countries.
“They want to make a deal, I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens,” Trump said on Friday at the White House. He didn't elaborate on what he saw as its shortcomings but expressed frustration with the Iranian leadership.
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“It's a very disjointed leadership,” Trump said. “They all want to make a deal, but they're all messed up.” Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported Iran handed over its plan to mediators in Pakistan on Thursday night.
Iran's military says war ‘likely’ to restart
Hours after Trump rejected Tehran’s proposal, Iran’s senior military officer said that it’s “likely” the US-Israel war on the country will resume and it’s “fully prepared for any new adventures or foolishness from the Americans”.
Mohammad Jafar Asadi said “a renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely”, Iran’s Fars news agency quoted him as saying.
“Evidence has shown that the United States is not committed to any promises or agreements,” he added.
‘Hostilities with Iran terminated’
Earlier, the White House asserted to Congress in a letter on Friday that hostilities with Iran have “terminated” despite the continued presence of US armed forces in the region.
“The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,” Trump wrote to House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Senator Chuck Grassley, the Senate president pro tempore.
He also made it clear in the letter that the war may be far from over.
“Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant,” Trump said.
(With agency inputs)