Iran peace hopes dangle by a thread as ceasefire 'violated' in Strait of Hormuz - Donald Trump brands Tehran 'dishonourable'

Dan McDonald
Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:06:31 +0000

Hopes for peace in Iran look to be dangling by a thread after Donald Trump accused Tehran of violating Tuesday night's ceasefire agreement.

The President took a series of increasingly fierce swipes at the regime on social media overnight after it emerged it was charging fees to tankers going through the Strait of Hormuz.

Late on Thursday, Mr Trump warned the Iranians to "stop now" - then an hour later, said the country was "doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing oil to go through the strait".

"That is not the agreement we have," he added.

Allowing the unfettered passage of oil through the vital waterway was a key detail of the President's breakthrough peace announcement earlier this week.

"Subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks," he said.

But now, Iran has started demanding payments for the hundreds of ships looking to pass through.

During the two-week ceasefire, Hamid Hosseini, Iran's oil exporters' union spokesman, declared that a $1 per barrel fee would be levied on the ships.

Vessels will also need to email Iranian authorities about what they are carrying, he told the Financial Times

“Once the email arrives and Iran completes its assessment, vessels are given a few seconds to pay in bitcoin, ensuring they can’t be traced or confiscated due to sanctions," Mr Hosseini said.

On Wednesday, it emerged that tankers stationed in the Gulf had received an unsettling radio broadcast from Iranian authorities - demanding they seek approval from the Islamic Republic or face military strikes.

The warning, delivered in English, said: “If any vessels try to transit without permission, [they] will be destroyed."

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