‘Impossible’: Rubio Warns Tehran Against Hormuz Tolls, Says It Could Kill US-Iran Deal

‘Impossible’: Rubio Warns Tehran Against Hormuz Tolls, Says It Could Kill US-Iran Deal Published By, Last Updated: May 21, 2026, 22:22 IST Marco Rubio warned Iran that a Strait of Hormuz tolling system is illegal and unacceptable, saying it would derail any diplomatic deal, and noted Trump has other options. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the press before boarding his plane at Homestead Air Reserve Base in Homestead, Florida, on Thursday. (Image: AFP) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday warned Iran against introducing tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz, saying this would make the diplomatic agreement “impossible". “No one in the world is in favour of the tolling system," he said. “It can’t happen. It would be unacceptable." He further said: “It would make a diplomatic deal unfeasible if they were to continue to pursue that. So it’s a threat to the world if they were trying to do that, and it’s completely illegal." “Trump’s preference is to do a good deal… I’m not here to tell you that it’s going to happen for sure, but I’m here to tell you that we’re going to do everything we can to see if we can get one. If we can’t get a good deal, POTUS has been clear — he has other options," he said before boarding a flight to Sweden, where he will meet with NATO foreign ministers. The remarks come ahead of Rubio’s visit to India. On the energy supply issue in India, he said, “We want to sell them as much energy as they will buy. We are at historic levels of US production and US exports. We want to be able to do more. We were already in talks with them to do more, we want to be a bigger part of their portfolio." “We also think that there are opportunities with Venezuelan oil. It is my understanding that the interim President of Venezuela will be travelling to India next week as well. There is a lot to work on with India. They are a great ally, a great partner. We do a lot of good work with them. So, this is an important trip. I am glad we are able to do it. We will also meet with the Quad there…I am glad we are able to do now in India and we will do one later in the year as well," he added. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump replying, at a press briefing at the Oval Office, to a question on Iran’s enriched uranium, “We will get it. We don’t need it. We don’t want it. We’ll probably destroy it after we get it — but we’re not going to let them have it." Iran has heavily restricted shipping movement through the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of war with the US and Israel on February 28. Tehran has insisted that vessels crossing the waterway obtain permission from Iranian authorities, despite a ceasefire and an ongoing US naval blockade imposed in April. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday said 31 ships had passed through the waterway “with the coordination and security of the IRGC Navy". The ships included oil tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels, the IRGC Navy said in a statement shared by Iran’s Tasnim news agency. The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, with a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passing through the narrow corridor connecting the Persian Gulf to international waters. Sky News quoted the State Secretary telling the reporters that there are “some good signs" that a deal to end the Iran war could be in sight – but added that he doesn’t “want to be overly optimistic". Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that he had told the US military “to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached". News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: United States of America (USA) First Published: May 21, 2026, 22:05 IST News world ‘Impossible’: Rubio Warns Tehran Against Hormuz Tolls, Says It Could Kill US-Iran Deal Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...