Kathmandu. US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is “90 percent inactive” after the military strike.

The claim comes after the US announced it would re-impose a maritime blockade on the Strait of Hormuz and impose tariffs on ships sailing through it.

In an interview with Fox News, President Trump said that the joint military action of the United States and Israel has caused serious damage to Iran’s defense infrastructure. “Large parts of Iran’s naval and air power, air defense systems and military leadership have been destroyed,” he said.

Trump reiterated his claim that Iran’s top military commanders were killed in action and that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike in late February. Mojtaba Khamenei said he was “deeply affected” by the operation and was “90 percent finished”.

He added that Khamenei was recovering from serious injuries sustained in previous airstrikes and had not attended public funerals in Iran and Iraq earlier this month.

The comments came after the US and Iran exchanged another missile attack over the weekend. The missile exchange has further escalated regional tensions.

Trump said the US was reimposing “Iranian sanctions” and charging commercial ships to ensure the safety of the Strait of Hormuz. He said on Truth Social that the US would now take on the role of “custodian of the Strait of Hormuz”, blocking the movement of Iranian ships and cargo linked to Iran, but allowing other countries to use the waterways freely.

Trump also proposed a reimbursement fee equal to 20 percent of the value from all international cargo using the waterfront. According to him, the security costs of strategic sea routes should also be borne by international trading partners.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected Trump’s offer and said that Iran has a “historic and legal responsibility” to protect the Strait of Hormuz. He said on social media that the 20 percent tariff was exorbitant and that Iran would act fairly.

The United States and Iran have been locked in a war of words over control, security, and maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides are asserting their claims more aggressively over this sea route, which is considered very important for the world’s energy supply.