Trump Drops Hormuz Fees as Escalating Iran Strikes Drive Up Casualties and Oil Prices

• Early July: War resumes and Hormuz fee plan is scrapped
• Mid-July: Waves of strikes and first US deaths
• Weekend escalation: Ninth and tenth strike waves
• Casualties mount: Nearly 100 US troops injured
• Broader impact: Oil prices and political pressure

Trump Drops Hormuz Fees as Escalating Iran Strikes Drive Up Casualties and Oil Prices
The Trump administration is simultaneously retreating from a controversial shipping fee plan and deepening a high‑risk air campaign against Iran, as mounting US and Iranian casualties sharpen domestic and regional tensions.

§Early July: War resumes and Hormuz fee plan is scrapped

After the US resumed air strikes against Iran on July 7, President Donald Trump signalled a policy shift in the Gulf, saying the US would abandon a proposed Strait of Hormuz cargo levy and instead seek “Gulf investment” to bolster security.
One report noted that “Donald Trump says US to abandon proposed Strait of Hormuz cargo fee,” replacing the plan with investment tied to the region’s energy lifeline.

§Mid-July: Waves of strikes and first US deaths

By July 14, the US military had already launched its seventh wave of strikes on Iran, framed as an effort to punish the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and protect commercial shipping through Hormuz.
On July 19, US forces struck Iran “after two American troops [were] killed in Jordan,” as a battle for control of the strait escalated following Tehran’s attacks on Gulf states.

§Weekend escalation: Ninth and tenth strike waves

Over the weekend of July 19–20, US Central Command began a ninth consecutive wave of strikes, hitting Iranian military facilities, missile and drone storage sites, and other targets “to punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces” and degrade Iran’s ability to threaten shipping in Hormuz.
Iran’s health ministry said at least 50 people had been killed and more than 500 injured in US strikes since late June, underscoring the human cost on the Iranian side.

§Casualties mount: Nearly 100 US troops injured

By July 21, the Pentagon reported “nearly 100 service members were deemed to have some degree of injury” in two weeks of fighting, mostly minor concussions, with 96% already back on duty.
At least four US service members have been killed in the renewed conflict, even as US forces completed a tenth wave of strikes targeting Iran’s military installations to “degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial vessels” in Hormuz.

§Broader impact: Oil prices and political pressure

The collapse of an April ceasefire, Trump’s reimposed naval blockade, and Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Gulf states have pushed Brent crude up nearly 25% in July, intensifying global economic concerns.
At home, the protracted conflict, higher energy prices, and accusations that the administration has obscured casualty figures are weighing on Trump’s approval ratings, even as officials emphasise troops’ determination “to get back in the fight.”

Continue reading https://foxvector.com/stories/019f84c5-6741-3f5b-72ca-226130178f75