Published July 12, 2026 at 11:17 AM ET · Updated July 13, 2026 at 2:05 PM ET
Trump declares America, not Iran, will charge tolls for Strait of Hormuz shipping
9 independent outlets are covering this story. Verification: Confirmed — reported independently by wire/mainstream and conservative outlets. Patriot Watch links to original reporting; we don't republish it.
Trump declared that the United States, rather than Iran, would charge tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, reimposing the Iran blockade and setting a 20% fee on cargo. The move was reported as disrupting ongoing Iran negotiations.
Patriot Watch first flagged this story 1 d ago, when Washington Times reported it. Coverage has since grown to 9 independent outlets, including 6 wire/mainstream feeds. The most recent report came 5 hr ago from CBS News. Verification tier: Confirmed — reported independently by wire/mainstream and conservative outlets.
⚖ The Constitutional Angle
Learning Resources v. V.O.S. Selections held that IEEPA does not authorize presidential tariffs, because the Constitution vests the power to lay duties in Congress and the Executive has no inherent peacetime tariff authority. A 20 percent cargo toll on Hormuz shipping is such a duty and needs an act of Congress. The Prize Cases upheld a blockade but only of rebel ports in armed conflict, not a foreign strait.
Learning Resources v. V.O.S. Selections 607 U.S. 229 (2026)
Vote: 6-3 · Opinion: Roberts (C.J.)
THE ANSWER TO THE LITIGATED QUESTION: the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the President to impose tariffs. The Constitution vests the power to lay taxes and duties in Congress; the Executive has no inherent authority to impose peacetime tariffs (a point the government conceded), so any presidential tariff power must come from a congressional delegation. IEEPA's grant of authority to 'regulate ...
The Prize Cases (The Brig Amy Warwick; The Schooner Crenshaw; The Barque Hiawatha; The Schooner Brilliante) 67 U.S. (2 Black) 635 (1863)
Vote: 5-4 · Opinion: Grier
The President had the right, jure belli, to institute a blockade of ports held by states in rebellion — which neutrals were bound to respect — without waiting for a congressional declaration of war.
Precedent facts from the PW Law Library — primary-source verified & independently audited
