US-Iran Hormuz Ceasefire Faces Toll and Restriction Hurdles

A fragile two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran took effect this week in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway off the coast of the Persian Gulf, but tensions persisted as Iran restricted tanker passage and proposed charging tolls on ships transiting the chokepoint. The agreement, announced by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, April 8, 2026, followed more than a month of closure that has disrupted about 20 percent of the world's seaborne oil and liquefied natural gas flows, triggering one of the most severe energy supply shocks in recent history.

The regional conflict erupted on February 28, 2026, leading Iran to shut the strait to nearly all exports. The ceasefire aimed to restore traffic, but hours after its signing, Iranian forces barred oil tankers, citing an Israeli airstrike on Lebanon, home to the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah, which Tehran claimed violated the pact's terms. Israel maintained that the strike targeted threats outside the agreement's scope. An Iranian lawmaker warned that tankers linked to the United States or Israel would face a permanent ban, while Iran's foreign minister stated the military would control the passageway.