The United States' transactional security demands in the Strait of Hormuz will further alienate Gulf partners and harden Iran's attitude toward controlling the waterway, and could also encourage Yemen's Houthis to impose tolls on ships transiting the nearby Bab el-Mandeb Strait. In a rapid back and forth on July 13-14, U.S. President Donald Trump announced -- and then reversed -- a pledge to place a 20% toll on all cargoes passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which he initially characterized as a levy to compensate for American protection for transiting the contested waterway. However, after intense regional and international lobbying, Trump said that the United States would instead negotiate massive trade and investment commitments with Gulf Arab states in exchange for continued protection, without providing further details. The transactional offer came amid a weeklong uptick in regional hostilities, marked by Iranian attacks on Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, and U.S. attacks...
