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

Last Updated:May 21, 2026, 22:08 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 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.

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.

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

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