By Alexandra Sharp
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at new U.S. plans for the Strait of Hormuz, Houthi allegations against Saudi Arabia, and the European Union cracking down on minors’ social media access.
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Ships sail near the Strait of Hormuz off the eastern
coast of the United Arab Emirates on July 13.AFP via
Getty Images
For months, the United States has cited Iran’s claims over the Strait of Hormuz, including Tehran’s vow to impose tolls on commercial ships, as a reasoning for continued war. “It’s an international waterway,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month. “No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway. That’s existing international law.”
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump flipped the script, vowing to establish U.S. control over the strategic thoroughfare and charge all cargo vessels a steep toll for access.
“The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday. “[B]ut as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World.”
A fifth of global oil and gas once passed through the Strait of Hormuz. However, since the Iran war ignited in late February, Tehran has effectively shut down the thoroughfare, disrupting supply chains and raising energy costs. The White House has repeatedly stressed that U.S. forces will reopen the strait to everyone—without tolls. “There isn’t a nation on Earth that supports having to pay money to go through the straits,” Rubio said on June 25.
Yet Trump told Fox & Friends on Monday that the United States is no longer interested in working for free. “We’re going to be reimbursed because the other nations are very wealthy, they’re on our side, and we can’t be expected to do that for nothing,” the U.S. president said.
In response, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization condemned any attempt by Washington or Tehran to charge tolls, as doing so would violate global freedom of navigation norms. And Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that continued U.S. military intervention in the strait “could lead to greater incidents in the global oil and gas sector.”
Such threats have not stopped Trump from also reinstating the U.S. military blockade on Iran. “The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday, announcing the blockade.
First imposed in mid-April, the White House lifted the blockade in June to abide by a condition of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU). Although reimposing the stoppage violates the two sides’ cease-fire deal, the MOU appears already in tatters following days of tit-for-tat strikes.
“We had a deal. It was a done deal, and then they broke it,” Trump told Fox News on Monday, referring to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels last week. “They always break it. We’ve had 10 deals with these people. And so, we’re just going to hit them very hard.” U.S. Central Command said that on Sunday its forces struck dozens of Iranian targets in retaliation for Iranian assaults on ships in the strait.
The U.S. military has tried to establish a route through the waterway that bypasses Iranian waters by hugging Oman’s coast. But Tehran isn’t amused, attacking ships that use the alternate path. “We continue to assert our authority and control over the Strait of Hormuz with strength and power, and we will force foreigners and their allies to surrender to the will of the Iranian people,” an IRGC spokesperson told Reuters on Monday.
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Tuesday, July 14: Israeli and Lebanese officials begin a round of two-day talks in Rome.
Thursday, July 16: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hosts Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Nominations are due for the U.K. Labour Party’s leadership contest. If no one else challenges parliamentarian Andy Burnham, then he is expected to replace outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday, July 20.
Sunday, July 19: São Tomé and Príncipe hold a presidential election.
A new front. Houthi rebels in Yemen accused Saudi Arabia on Monday of launching airstrikes at Sanaa International Airport and vowed retaliation, testing the tenuous truce between Riyadh and the Iran-backed group in Yemen. “This aggression will not go unanswered or unpunished,” Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi official, wrote on Telegram.
Saudi Arabia did not comment on the alleged attack, but Yemeni Defense Minister Taher al-Aqili, who is a member of the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government of Yemen, wrote on X that the airport’s runway was hit to prevent an Iranian plane from landing there. The aircraft was believed to be carrying a Houthi delegation that had traveled to Iran for the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was buried last week. According to the Yemeni rebel group, the plane was diverted to Hodeidah International Airport, which is controlled by the Houthis.
Houthi forces occupy large swaths of northern Yemen and have long defied the country’s Saudi-backed government. Although Riyadh has tried to isolate itself from the Iran war, including by offering to help mediate talks between Tehran and Washington, active fighting between Saudi and Houthi forces could drag the kingdom directly into the fray.
Limiting online access. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday that the European Union will impose age restrictions on social media usage. “This is not about whether children can access social media,” von der Leyen said. “It is about whether and when social media can access our children.”
In an EU report published on Monday, the bloc recommended that minors under age 13 have “time-limited” access to social media and only with parental supervision; social media platforms already limit access to users under age 13. Von der Leyen also said that the EU plans to consider age bans on other online sites deemed harmful to young people. Although she did not specify which sites might be impacted, experts suspect that video games and artificial intelligence chatbots could be targeted.
At least 12 EU members—including France, Greece, and Spain—have already announced or are currently discussing similar restrictions. Their actions follow in the footsteps of Australia, which became the first country in December to impose an age-based social media ban. However, pushback from Estonia, the lone EU voice against age restrictions, could complicate matters; Tallinn has argued that EU legislation should prioritize regulating the platforms rather than restricting access, as young people will likely find a way to circumvent the bans.
Patriot vs. Freya. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Paris on Monday for a gathering of the “coalition of the willing,” a British- and French-led group of countries that support Ukraine in its war against Russia. At least 25 leaders attended the summit, which focused on bolstering Kyiv’s anti-ballistic missile capabilities to fill the gap left by the United States.
Last week, Trump agreed to give Kyiv a license to domestically produce Patriot missile defense systems. Although this license will help Ukraine counter Russian attacks in the long run, it fails to tackle the immediate threats that Kyiv faces. To address this, Zelensky on Monday pushed for the joint development of the Freya anti-ballistic missile system, a pan-European effort to create a more affordable alternative to the U.S. Patriot system.
Zelensky’s trip came one day after the Ukrainian leader announced a massive cabinet shake-up, including the dismissal of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. “Ukraine is changing its political strategy,” Zelensky wrote on social media on Sunday, adding that he plans to designate an official to oversee each of his policy priorities. These include managing relations with Washington, securing EU membership, procuring advanced armaments, and overseeing the front lines.
In the dead of night on Friday, security officials returned a priceless medieval artifact to British soil for the first time in nearly 1,000 years. The Bayeux Tapestry, which details the 1066 Norman invasion of England, has long been housed in the French region of Normandy. However, during a state visit to the United Kingdom last July, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the 11th-century artwork would temporarily be displayed at the British Museum, starting Sept. 10. Citing security concerns, though, the tapestry was transported under the cover of darkness, with the details of when and how it would arrive kept under wraps until its safe arrival was confirmed.
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