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RUSSIA PERSPECTIVE
TRUMP DROPS STRAIT OF HORMUZ TOLL AS BLOCKADE AND STRIKES ON IRAN RESUME
DOMINANT ANGLE
Moscow denounces the double standard of Washington, which is waiving its tax on the Hormuz Strait while intensifying its blockade and strikes against Iran
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
ANALYSIS
Moscow, July 15, 2026. Russian agencies are closely following Donald Trump's reversal on the Strait of Hormuz. According to reports, the US President announced on Truth Social that he is abandoning his 20% tax on cargo transiting through the strait, instead opting for "trade and investment agreements" with Gulf monarchies. Trump stated that "no one should charge a passage fee in any strait," after previously demanding a payment equivalent to one-fifth of the value of cargo to "protect" Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, just three days prior.
However, this commercial pullback is not accompanied by any military de-escalation. Trump has reinstated the blockade of Iranian ports, breaking the memorandum of understanding signed with Tehran on June 17, and had notified Congress as early as July 10 of the resumption of "hostilities" against Iran. A third consecutive night of US airstrikes, announced by Centcom, targeted Iranian air defenses, coastal radars, and missile sites, while the Revolutionary Guards retaliated against US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Oman, including the headquarters of the Fifth Fleet.
Trump's initial tariff initiative sparked outright hostility from the maritime sector, with the German group Hapag-Lloyd, the world's fifth-largest container shipping company, deeming the idea of a 20% levy "fundamentally flawed." Brazilian President Lula da Silva also criticized the US promise to provide secure passage for a fee. The US is now presenting itself as the "guardian of the Strait of Hormuz," guaranteeing "free and fair" access to all countries except Iran and its oil clients.
For the Russian press, this dual move – abandoning the tax to appease the oil monarchies while maintaining the blockade and airstrikes – illustrates a US policy driven by its own strategic interests in the Gulf, even if it means prolonging a conflict that RT describes as an "unprovoked war" against Iran, through which approximately one-fifth of global oil and gas exports pass.
KEY POINTS
- Moscow views the decision by the US to abandon the 20% tax on freight transiting through the Strait of Hormuz as a move to prioritize investment agreements with Gulf monarchies.
- Russia notes that the US is maintaining a naval blockade of Iranian ports and conducting a third consecutive night of strikes, with Iran retaliating against US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Oman.
- From Moscow's perspective, the German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd's judgment that the idea of a 20% tariff is "fundamentally flawed" aligns with criticism from Brazilian President Lula da Silva, as reported by various sources.
COGNITIVE BIASES IDENTIFIED
Moscow frames the military strike campaign against Iran as "unprovoked", with several media outlets criticizing the actions taken by the US and Israel
Russian government-affiliated outlets, such as TASS and Sputnik, often quote official statements from Trump without systematic contradiction from independent US sources
There is limited coverage of Iran's official stance, with few direct quotes from Tehran in the available articles
SOURCES (3)
TASSCenter
STATE-CONTROLLEDSTATE MEDIA
KommersantCenter
MEDIUM
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