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Marco Rubio Issues Warning About Iran
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Marco Rubio Issues Warning About Iran

Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a blunt warning Thursday that any attempt by Iran to charge ships for transiting the Strait of Hormuz would violate international law and threaten one of the fundamental principles of global commerce.

Speaking in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, Rubio argued that allowing any country to demand payment for passage through an international waterway would set a dangerous precedent with consequences far beyond the Middle East.

"The Straits of Hormuz are international waters," Rubio told members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, according to a State Department transcript. "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."

Rubio's remarks came the same day Iran's military reportedly attacked a cargo vessel transiting the strategically vital waterway, underscoring the continuing risks facing commercial shipping in the region.


The Strait of Hormuz serves as one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. A significant portion of the world's oil exports passes through the narrow passage each day, making any disruption there a matter of global economic concern.

Rubio warned that recognizing Iran's authority to collect money from vessels using the strait would amount to international acceptance of extortion.

"You can call it a 'toll,' you can call it a 'fee,'" Rubio said. "Whatever you want to call it, it's a game of semantics."

He rejected any distinction between the two terms, arguing that the principle remains the same regardless of the label attached to it.

"The reality of it is that no country on Earth has a right to charge for the use of international waterways," Rubio continued.

"And that will never be an acceptable condition of any deal. The president has been fundamentally clear about that."

Rubio also cautioned that permitting such a policy would not remain confined to the Persian Gulf.

He described the idea as a "contagion," warning that if one nation successfully asserted the right to charge for passage through international waters, other countries controlling strategic waterways could attempt to do the same. Such a shift, he argued, would undermine the long-standing international framework that allows commercial vessels to move freely through critical shipping lanes.


The comments followed reports that Iran had floated the idea of imposing "fees" on vessels using the Strait of Hormuz. According to The New York Times, Iranian officials suggested that payments could be framed as service fees rather than illegal tolls, although they did not specify what services would actually be provided in exchange.

International maritime law generally protects freedom of navigation through international straits, and legal experts have questioned whether such charges could be justified under existing treaties and customary international law.

Tensions in the region have remained elevated following recent military exchanges involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. The reported attack on a Singapore-flagged cargo vessel Thursday highlighted the continuing security concerns facing commercial shipping companies operating in one of the world's busiest energy corridors.

Written by Arthur Higgens - June 26, 2026