Trump’s play is aggressive: choose one between permanent free passage through the Strait of Hormuz or a 20% protection fee—either way, Iran has a hot potato on its hands, whether it accepts or not.

According to a report by The New York Times, in an interview on Sunday afternoon local time, U.S. President Trump said that the agreement he reached with Iran will ultimately ensure that the Strait of Hormuz is “permanently exempt from tolls,” and he noted that although Netanyahu voiced opposition, he has kept Israel from nuclear annihilation. “He’s a very difficult guy,” Mr. Trump said when talking about Netanyahu. “Honestly, he should be very grateful that we did this. Because if Iran had nuclear weapons, Israel might have only two hours left.” Trump also insisted that if Iran fails to reach a final nuclear agreement with the United States—this process is expected to be launched in Switzerland on Friday—he will either launch a renewed military attack on Tehran or make the United States the “guardian of the Middle East” in exchange for 20% of the region’s revenue.