As the fast-deteriorating situation in the Strait of Hormuz threatened to escalate with Iranian forces continuing to attack merchant vessels in the region US President Donald Trump announced the country would take control of the strait and charge for its use.

Maritime leaders have condemned more attacks on vessels and with it the injury and death of seafarers, Trump announced the US Navy would take control of the strait and escort vessels through. However, it comes at a cost.

He has proposed a 20% levy on ships passing through the Strait which goes against the earlier calls for a return to free passage through the waterway.

Indeed the 20% fee is said by maritime experts of be higher than that  proposed by the Iranian government in its peace negotiations.

The plan has been criticised by many in the maritime sector.

US media have reported shipping giant Hapag Lloyd has condemned Trump’s plans.

The shipping giant is reported to have said it is “fundamentally wrong” to charge tolls for passage through international waters, regardless of the country in charge.

“Tolls for infrastructure such as the Suez Canal or Panama Canal are different, because they reflect major infrastructure investments,” the firm said in a statement. “That is not the case in the Strait of Hormuz.”

For its part Iran has doubled down on its claim that it will continue to control the strait.

Iranian Army spokesman, brigadier general Mohammad Akrami Nia, said the country’s armed forces will “continue to defend the rights of the Iranian people in the Strait of Hormuz”, adding it “will stand firm until their last breath and will not relinquish their responsibilities.”

On Tuesday one Indian crew member was killed, and 10 others were injured in Iranian attacks on two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Two tankers identified as the Al Bahiyah and Mombasa  carrying a combined 46 crew members, were struck by Iranian cruise missiles off the coast of Oman. A third vessel was also hit in the Arabian sea off of Oman.

International Maritime Organisation secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez condemned the attacks on merchant shipping in the region and beyond.

“As the IMO Council considers the continued threats to international shipping and the need to uphold navigational rights and freedoms, I must once again address attacks on commercial vessels,” he explained.  “I deplore the series of attacks over the past week against civilian merchant ships operating in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.

“While recent events have focused international attention on the situation in and around the Strait of Hormuz, we must not lose sight of the fact that seafarers continue to face serious threats in other parts of the world.

“I condemn all unwarranted attacks on civilian merchant vessels arising from geopolitical conflicts, wherever they occur. Such acts endanger seafarers, threaten the safety of navigation, disrupt global supply chains and undermine the principles upon which international shipping depends.

“I call on all parties involved in conflicts to refrain from any action that endangers innocent merchant shipping or the marine environment, to respect international law, and to ensure the protection of seafarers. Seafarers should never become casualties of conflicts to which they are not a party.

“Every seafarer, wherever they serve, deserves to work in safety and security.”

As the attacks on vessels and the blockade of the vital strait through which 20% of the world oil and gas are transported there are new moves to find alternative routes.

Media reports this week have said  Dubai-based port operator DP World is in talks to develop new facilities in the coastal area of Fujairah. The move would bypass the strait and with it the threats.