Today Trump announced that the US will be the “Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz“ and in this role will collect a fee from tankers and ships passing through the water strait - 20% of the value of their cargo. This is “a matter of fairness“, the US president wrote.
This was commented on "Facebook" by expert Plamen Dimitrov Petrov.
Large tankers of the VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) class carry 2 million barrels. Calculated at today's price of nearly $80 per barrel, this makes $160 million.
And of that, Trump plans to collect 20%, i.e. - $32 million. Compare that to the $2 million fee that the Iranians announced in April that they would collect from tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
The American racket will be 16 times larger than the Iranian one! Who are the Iranians to compete with the big bad racketeer from Mar-a-Lago!?
But if we return to reality - as much racketeering as the Iranians collected, Trump will collect as well.
His outburst today is simply an expression of despair that he cannot cope with the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Tomorrow he can say - kiss my hand, I'll let you go - I won't ask you for any fees.