Press Release
Trump Rekindles the War and Demands “Protection Fees” for Safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz—From Himself!
(Translated)

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would impose a 20% fee on all goods shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, following the launch of a new military operation that reignited the war in the Arabian Gulf.

In response to Trump's announcement, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations agency, reaffirmed its rejection of imposing transit fees on any strait used for international navigation, stating that such a measure is illegal.

It is clear that there is no logic behind Trump's decisions other than arrogance, conceit, contempt for the sanctity of Muslims' wealth, and disregard for the security of their lands. America itself instigated this war—indeed, it imposed it upon the people of the region. It bombed, killed, destroyed, and burned, dragging the countries of the region into a spiral of military confrontation, the declared objective of which has now become reopening the Strait of Hormuz, even though it had been open in the first place.

Instead of apologizing to the peoples of the region and to the world for the destruction it has caused, and instead of paying compensation for the economic losses inflicted upon global markets, its president now demands payment in return for reopening the strait and guaranteeing its security!

This reflects America's contempt for the Muslims and the arrogance that has overtaken Trump, to the point that he now regards seizing the wealth of nations as America's rightful entitlement.

This is not the first time Trump has spoken about wealthy countries, by which he means the Gulf states, paying money to America. He had previously demanded that they bear the full cost of America's war against Iran. He treats the rulers of the Gulf as though they were merely a wallet in his pocket.

If Trump succeeds in implementing his vision for the region, it will mean even greater humiliation, colonial domination, and control over the region's future. Those rulers in the region who cooperate with his plans—such as those who host American military bases from which America projects its force and carries out its operations—are like those who walk to their own destruction with their own feet. This is the very essence of loss.

Allah Almighty says:

[إِنَّمَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَأَخْرَجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ وَظَاهَرُوا عَلَى إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَن تَوَلَّوْهُمْ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ]

“Allah only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion - [forbids] that you make allies of them. And whoever makes allies of them, then it is those who are the wrongdoers.” [Surah Al-Mumtahanah: 9].

Indeed, the current events present an opportunity for the countries of the region to break free from America's mantle. America is no longer in its strongest position. It recognizes the decline of its own power amid the global challenges it faces: the loss of friends and allies, the growing strength of international competitors such as China and Russia, the unwillingness of its own people to bear the costs of wars and foreign adventures, and its intellectual and civilizational bankruptcy.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon the sincere people of power and influence in the region to assume the mantle of leadership, steer the course toward liberation from dependence upon and submission to America and the West, and grant support to Hizb ut Tahrir so that it may establish the Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly Guided Caliphate) on the method of the Prophethood, restoring the legacy of the early Muslim leaders and conquerors.

The Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir