Brazilian president Lula slams Trump's Hormuz toll plan as "piracy" he said
Lula strongly criticised the broader economic impacts of the U.S.-led conflict on uninvolved nations, emphasising how global tensions drive up local commodity prices.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addressing minister and experts about the potential of rare earths and critical minerals on July 11. (courtesy Photo)
RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to take control of the Strait of Hormuz and levy a 20 percent transit fee, calling it "piracy."
Lula made the remarks during a visit to laboratory facilities at the Maua Institute of Technology in Sao Paulo State, responding to Trump's earlier social media posts and television interviews, where the U.S. leader claimed that the country would act as the strait's "guardian" and demand a 20 percent cargo surcharge for security.
"In the old days, this was called piracy," Lula said, noting that the United States, a nation that has long combated piracy, should not turn into a pirate state itself.
The Brazilian president described the initiative to charge fees on maritime transit as neither democratic nor civilised, adding that it is "abnormal for someone to take advantage of a tragedy to make money" at the expense of others.
"The price of the war is reaching our beans, rice, and tomatoes," he said.
On Tuesday, July 14th, Iran reported that two counties in southwestern Iran's Khuzestan province were hit by U.S. strikes.
Abadan County, home to Iran's oldest oil refinery and bordering Iraq, and nearby Bandar-e Mahshahr County on the northern coast of the Gulf, were targeted, according to Valiollah Hayati, Khuzestan's deputy governor for security and law enforcement affairs.
Meanwhile, the semi-official Fars news agency reported that four locations in southwestern Iran's port city of Bushehr, which hosts Iran's first operational commercial nuclear power plant, were struck by "enemy projectiles" on Tuesday, with no casualties reported so far.
The extent of the attack and potential damage are currently under investigation, Fars reported, citing Ehsan Jahanian, Bushehr's deputy governor for political and security affairs.
In response, the Iranian armed forces said they had launched missile and drone strikes on U.S. bases in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.
Iran also accused the U.S. military of attempting to escort several vessels through an "illegal" route in the strait.
The latest escalation came after days of clashes between Iran and the United States despite a U.S.-Iran peace memorandum of understanding signed in mid-June, under which the two sides were expected to begin negotiations within 60 days toward a final agreement.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the United States was "reinstating the Iranian blockade, so named because it is only stopping Iran's ships or customers from entering or leaving," and proposed charging a 20-percent fee on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. media also reported Monday that Trump had formally notified Congress of the resumption of U.S. military operations against Iran.