President Donald Trump on Tuesday debunked even more fake news about the ceasefire deal with Iran.
Several news outlets have intimated that Trump is allowing the Iranian regime to collect tolls or fees for vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian forces recently lifted its blockade in the waterway as part of the peace deal.
“Iran has informed the U.S. that, despite troublemaking Fake News reporting to the contrary, there are ‘NO TOLLS, NO INSURANCE COSTS, & NO OTHER CHARGES OF ANY KIND BEING SOUGHT OR RECEIVED BY IRAN ON SHIPS TRAVELING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ,’” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “If this is false information, negotiations would end, immediately!”
The president further stated that “no money has been given to Iran, or released from their money to them, by the U.S.”
The U.S. “will be releasing some of their money, that is totally controlled by us, to our Farmers and Ranchers, for the purchase of Corn, Wheat, Soybeans, and more,” Trump explained. “Food is desperately needed in Iran, and we will be purchasing it for them exclusively from the United States.”
Recent news reports highlighted comments from Iranian officials delineating between traditional transit “tolls” and proposed “fees” for ships going through the Strait of Hormuz. The New York Times reported that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the regime is “not seeking to levy transit tolls; however, fees will be charged in exchange for the services that are provided.”
Some took this to mean that Iran was still charging tolls, but just calling them “fees.” However, the truth was that the fees were meant to cover navigation assistance, environmental protection and insurance-related support for vessels, not a charge for simply traveling through the waterway.
Trump:
— Alex kennedy (@Alexkennedy213) June 24, 2026
If the Islamic Republic charges money from ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the negotiations will end immediately.
There was also speculation that Trump authorized taxpayer funds to be sent to the Iranian regime as part of the deal. But this is also false. The president explained that the funds in question already belonged to Tehran but would be used to purchase food for Iranian citizens.
Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran will allow passage through the waterway at no charge for 60 days as the two nations work out a permanent peace deal.
U.S. officials are negotiating with Iranian representatives about issues like Iran’s nuclear program and U.S. sanctions on the regime. Trump has repeatedly stated that the objective of the war and current negotiations are intended to ensure the regime never becomes a nuclear power.