Donald Trump has said the US will probably take over the Strait of Hormuz and become its “guardian angel” – and that it should receive a fee for controlling the vital waterway.
“We’re going to keep the strait, and we’ll probably run it. We’ll become the guardian of the strait,” he said in a phone interview on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” program.
“Maybe we’ll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that.
His comments came after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said they attacked Gulf states overnight as Washington and Tehran contested the control of the strait.
Iranian forces targeted facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, destroyed radar systems in Oman, and struck fuel tanks and ammunition depots at Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan in response.
Just hours earlier, the US military announced it has launched more strikes on Iran “to hold Iranian forces accountable” as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz escalate.
The renewed violence casts further doubt on the future of an interim US-Iranian agreement signed last month that aimed to reopen the strait and end the war after a further 60 days of negotiations.
Pictured: US military releases image of strike on Iran
Iran says it will not allow US to intervene Strait of Hormuz
Iran will not allow the US to intervene in the management of the Strait of Hormuz, the country’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has said.
Any attempt by the US army to arrange transit through the strait outside the paths designated by Tehran and without coordination with Iran’s armed forces will be strongly resisted, it added in a statement on social media.
Ships stop crossing Strait of Hormuz after US and Iran trade strikes
No commercial vessels have crossed the Strait of Hormuz while broadcasting their location since Sunday evening, according to new data.
Some ships may have passed through with their transmitters off. Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said that transit through the vital shipping route “is not currently possible” due to “illegal movements of the United States military forces in the region”.
Eight commercial vessels including tankers, bulk carriers and cargo vessels, crossed the strait on Sunday – down from 21 on Saturday and 14 on Friday, according to preliminary data from maritime intelligence firm Kpler.
Two of the ships broadcast their positions during the transit and both had crossed before the PGSA made its announcement, and six others recorded by Kpler were dark, meaning they did not broadcast their position.
Maira Butt reports:
Ships stop crossing Strait of Hormuz after US and Iran trade strikes
Tehran said transit through the vital shipping route has been blocked due to US military actionAlex Croft13 July 2026 14:21
Trump says US should be ‘guardian angel’ of Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States would probably take over the Strait of Hormuz and should be reimbursed for controlling the vital waterway.
“We’re going to keep the strait, and we’ll probably run it. We’ll become the guardian of the strait,” he said in a phone interview on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” program.
“Maybe we’ll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that.
“You know, we we guarded the strait for 50 years more, and we never got paid for it. They made all the money.. It’s amazing. We guarded it for nothing, and now we’re going to guard it. We’re going to get paid for guarding it,” he added.
Bahrain says air defences destroyed several Iranian drones and missiles
We’re just hearing more reports of an Iranian attack on Bahrain.
The country said its air defences had intercepted and destroyed several Iranian air attacks on Monday morning.
It is currently unclear just how damaging the attacks were and whether there were any casualties. We’re working to bring you more.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said earlier on Monday they had targeted US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, destroyed radar systems in Oman, and hit fuel tanks and ammunition depots in Jordan.
Watch: US releases video of forces carrying out another wave of strikes on Iran
Recap: Trump claims US and Iran agreed deal before ‘they gave up everything’ in attack
Donald Trump has called Iran “evil and sick” after claiming it broke an agreed peace deal yesterday when it fired a drone at a ship.
Speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump said: “They agreed to a deal yesterday – a perfect deal for us, no nuclear, no this, no that, no nothing, they gave up everything – and then after that, they left the room, and then within an hour they launched a drone at a ship.”
“We bombed the hell out of them last night. They are very, very evil and sick people,” he added.
BREAKING: UK proscribes Iran’s IRGC as terror group
The UK government has proscribed Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) over “threats to life and intimidation on UK soil”.
The move comes after years of debate over the IRGC’s role and its close links to international terrorism as well as human rights abuses in Iran.
Sir Keir Starmer has authorised the decision to officially proscribe the IRGC after it was linked to recent terrorist incidents in the UK.
This is a breaking story, more to follow…
Two killed in US attacks on Abadan – Iranian state media
Iranian state media is reporting several casualties as a result of US attacks on Abadan.
At least two people were killed in a US attack on different locations on the southwestern city, Mehr news agency reported.
The Tasnim news agency had earlier reported that a projectile struck the city, injuring one person.
I’m an expert on Iran and US politics. Here’s what might happen next
The 60-day ceasefire signed by the US and Iran three weeks ago fell apart on July 8. Iran targeted vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz without its say-so, prompting the US to respond with strikes against a range of military targets in the Islamic Republic.
President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire “over”, saying further talks would be a “waste of time”, and the two sides have subsequently exchanged further rounds of attacks. We asked Scott Lucas, an expert in Middle East and US politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin, to explain why the conflict appears to have restarted and what might happen next.
I’m an expert on Iran and US politics. Here’s what might happen next
President Donald Trump says the 60-day ceasefire signed by the US and Iran three weeks ago is ‘over’Alex Croft13 July 2026 11:58NewerOlder