U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has declared that no nation is permitted to impose tolls on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, reinforcing Washington’s position that the critical waterway must remain open for global commerce.
The statement comes amid reports that Iran had floated the idea of charging fees for transit, a move that would have significantly disrupted energy flows and increased costs for international shipping.
Rubio’s comments serve as a direct rebuttal to any attempt to monetize access to the chokepoint, which handles roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply.
By framing the Strait as an international waterway, the U.S. government is signaling that it will not tolerate unilateral actions that could restrict free navigation or impose financial barriers on commercial traffic.
The rejection of tolls is likely to ease some of the immediate shipping disruption fears that have been weighing on energy markets.
Investors and traders have been closely monitoring developments in the region, with any hint of restricted access leading to spikes in oil prices and freight rates.