U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Iran must keep the Strait of Hormuz open and that a tolling system is unacceptable.
Control over the strait is a critical flashpoint in global trade and energy security. Any attempt by Iran to monetize or restrict passage through the waterway would likely trigger severe international economic disruptions and escalate existing military tensions.
Rubio said from a flight over India while en route to New Delhi [1]. He addressed the current state of negotiations and the necessity of maintaining free navigation for all vessels in the region.
"There is no country in the world that's in favor of a tolling system except the regime in Iran," Rubio said [1]. "So that's not acceptable, that cannot happen."
The comments come as the conflict reaches day 88 of the Iran war [3]. Rubio said that the strait needs to be open without tolls [2], signaling a firm U.S. position that maritime access cannot be used as a bargaining chip or a source of revenue for the Iranian government.
While the U.S. maintains a hard line on the waterway, the Secretary of State said that diplomatic efforts are continuing. He said that some progress has been made in talks [2] and suggested that a peace deal could take days [3].
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most strategic chokepoints, serving as the primary exit for oil exports from the Persian Gulf. The U.S. has consistently warned that any interference with international shipping in the area would be met with a response to ensure the flow of commerce.
“"There is no country in the world that's in favor of a tolling system except the regime in Iran."”
The U.S. is leveraging diplomatic pressure and the threat of escalation to prevent Iran from establishing a financial or strategic gatekeeper role in the Strait of Hormuz. By explicitly rejecting a tolling system, the U.S. aims to protect global oil prices and maintain the precedent of free navigation in international waters, even as it pursues a potential peace agreement to end the 88-day conflict.
