Iran: Rubio says US rejects any nation's claim over Hormuz
06/25/2026 June 25, 2026 Rubio warns against charging tolls in Hormuz During his tour, Rubio has insisted that the US was committed to preserving the
06/25/2026 June 25, 2026 Rubio warns against charging tolls in Hormuz During his tour, Rubio has insisted that the US was committed to preserving the pre-war status quo of toll-free navigation in Hormuz Image: Eric Lee/REUTERS US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday warned that Iranian tolls on ships passing the Strait of Hormuz would risk "total chaos" as it could spread to other waterways. "International waterways do not belong to any nation-state. This is a foundational principle in the world today, without which the world would be in total chaos," he told a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Bahrain.
"If, in fact, we accepted that you can charge money to use an international waterway because it happens to be near your territorial space, well then, this will spread throughout the world like a contagion," he added. Rubio is on a three-nation tour of Gulf countries — his first regional tour since the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding last week to work toward a permanent end to the Middle East war. Tehran has on more than one occasion floated the idea that the Strait of Hormuz should be controlled by countries in the region, including Gulf nations, who could potentially collect fees from vessels passing through it.
Rubio says US wants a deal with Iran, but 'not at any price' The top US diplomat also said that Washington wants a peace deal with Tehran but not "at any price." "While we want a deal, we don't want a deal at any price," he said. "We want a deal that's good, we want a deal that's real, we want a deal that's verifiable, and we want a deal that's adhered to." Rubio also sought to reassure the Gulf allies that their interests would be taken into account. "We want to ensure... that there is no part of this deal that's undertaken that in any way undermines the security, the stability, or the prosperity of any of our partners in the Gulf region," he said.
In response to the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which began on February 28, Tehran launched missiles and drones at Gulf states hosting US military bases, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain — all three countries on Rubio's regional tour.
The BriefWire