President Trump on Wednesday said he is considering the formation of a “joint venture” with Iran to set up tolls in the Strait of Hormuz after the Trump administration and Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire deal.
[…]
The president also suggested Monday that the U.S. could impose its own tolls on vessels trying to transit through the channel. Leaders in Tehran signaled last week it would install a “toll booth” system to exert a price on ships seeking safe passage through the strait.
The problem is that the US extorting protection money from merchant ships for passing in an otherwise free international waterway makes the US government look like a mafia state. Which it may very well be, although it tried to avoid making it this clear before.
It’s abundantly clear that the Trump administration is this and not an inch more than this.