Trump says U.S. will “take over the strait” as strikes with Iran restart for third consecutive night

The United States carried out strikes against Iran for a third consecutive night as fighting between the two countries escalated again, according to PBS NewsHour. Iran said it fired a missile at a U.S. Navy ship, adding to the growing exchange of claims and counterclaims over attacks in and around a key shipping corridor in the Middle East.

The renewed U.S.-Iran conflict followed statements by President Donald Trump to Congress, in which he said the U.S. and Iran “have resumed fighting.” The remarks placed the dispute back into the center of U.S. policy discussions, with Trump describing a more direct approach to the waterway that connects energy markets across Asia, Europe, and the United States.

In remarks reported by PBS NewsHour, Trump said the U.S. would impose a blockade on Iran and take steps tied to control of the Strait of Hormuz. He also said the administration planned to impose a 20% tax on ships using the strait. The proposed levy, as described in the report, would be aimed at ships transiting the corridor that is critical for global energy shipments.

PBS NewsHour reported that Trump’s administration had previously criticized a similar 20% tax plan when Iran floated the idea. That detail underscores the political sensitivity around economic measures tied to maritime traffic, including how such proposals are framed as coercive policy by one side or a security policy by the other.

The immediate practical effects of the latest round of strikes and threats would fall on mariners, shipping operators, and coastal communities in the region. The Strait of Hormuz is among the world’s most important chokepoints for oil and gas transport, and repeated exchanges between military forces raise the risk of disruptions, rerouting, and miscalculation involving civilian vessels.

The reported claims about a missile fired at a U.S. Navy ship illustrate the difficulty of independently verifying incident details during active hostilities. For any incident resolution, officials would need to reconcile what each side says it launched, targeted, and observed, and provide clarity on whether any damage occurred and whether defensive actions were taken.

With the conflict continuing into a third night of strikes and with Trump’s remarks to Congress providing a broader set of policy statements, further steps would likely involve both continued military posture decisions and diplomatic messaging to allies, shipping stakeholders, and international maritime authorities. Any blockade or tax policy would also raise questions of legal authority, implementation mechanics, and how enforcement would be carried out in a manner consistent with international law and the protection of noncombatant shipping.