President Donald Trump’s plan to impose a toll on shipments through the Strait of Hormuz drew a cool response from some GOP lawmakers on Monday — and left others bewildered.
Trump said the waterway, which provides passage for 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies, was open despite the ongoing hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, and he pledged to exact tolls amounting to 20 percent of the value of cargoes that pass through it to pay for securing the movement of goods.
The president’s escalation follows the collapse of a ceasefire with Iran that was supposed to — at least in the U.S. perspective — refrain from interfering in traffic though the strait. Instead, Iran continued trying to assert control.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) expressed opposition to any fees for crossing the strait. “I think they’re international waters, and there shouldn’t be a toll put on ships by anyone,” said Kennedy, who has otherwise defended the administration’s Iran strategy.
