Trump Warns Iran: Attack Ships and Nuclear Talks Are Dead – No Shipping Fee in Any Deal
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, stating that any attack on ships in the Strait of Hormuz will end all diplomatic talks, while also declaring that any final nuclear deal including a maritime shipping fee would be "unacceptable."
Trump said that if Iran attacks vessels in the narrow waterway—through which about 20% of the world's oil passes—negotiations would be over [180914]. Separately, he rejected the idea of including fees on maritime shipping or transit in any agreement, calling such a provision a "game changer" that would set a bad precedent for other nations [180980].
Despite the tough rhetoric, diplomatic channels remain open. The United States and Iran are set to resume technical discussions in Switzerland next week, focusing on unresolved issues regarding Iran's nuclear program [180874]. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that technical talks will take place before the end of June, though he noted no major breakthrough is expected from the initial session [180937].
On the economic front, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said U.S. talks with Iran include a proposal for Iran to join the dollar-based financial system, under which it would invoice its oil sales in U.S. dollars—a major shift in the country's trade practices [180725].
Meanwhile, Trump hinted at a possible shift in U.S. policy on the long-stalled sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye, saying he may "do something" to satisfy Ankara ahead of a planned NATO summit visit, out of respect to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan [180975]. Türkiye also marked a defense milestone by signing a deal to export a warship to Romania, the first sale of a military vessel to a NATO and European Union member state [177596].
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is set to meet Trump on Wednesday to ease tensions between the alliance and the White House [180527]. Additionally, the German Chancellor will brief both Trump and Erdogan on outcomes of the E5 meeting in Berlin, aiming to align key allies on shared strategic goals ahead of the Ankara summit [180971].