US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Arab countries show no support for introducing a tolling system for transit through the Strait of Hormuz, according to TASS reporting from a ministerial meeting with the Gulf states in Manama, Bahrain.

"One thing that came across very clear is there is zero support - zero support - among the Gulf countries for any sort of toll or fees or anything that charges for the use of international waters," Rubio said after the meeting. He added that Oman also opposed the idea: "They were there in the meeting today, and they said it, that they're not in favor of a tolling system," he said.

Coverage of the meeting

The reports describe remarks by Rubio before foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, and a subsequent joint statement issued by the US and the ministers.

In his remarks, Rubio insisted the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway. "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 said. Any attempt by Iran to charge vessels for passage through the strait would be unacceptable, he argued, adding that "no country on Earth has a right to charge for the use of international waterways, and that will never be an acceptable condition of any deal."

Rubio reiterated that Washington categorically rejects a payment system for the strait. "The [US] president made it clear that's not going to happen," he said. "It's not doable." He argued that the only way to enforce such a toll would be to shell ships that refuse to pay, and that in that case no vessel would agree to pass through Hormuz.

The joint statement, issued after the ministerial meeting in Bahrain, aligned with Rubio's stance. The US and the GCC members "ruled out any tolls, fees, or attempts to exert a situation over the Strait" and emphasized the importance of reopening the strait for free and unconditional navigation, including the right of transit passage guaranteed under international law, which they said remains essential to regional and global security.

Key claims

The following points emerge from the reporting:

  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Gulf countries expressed no support for introducing tolls or fees in the Strait of Hormuz, and that Oman spoke against such a system during the meeting.
  • The US and the Gulf Cooperation Council, in a joint statement after a ministerial meeting in Manama, rejected any tolls, fees, or attempts to assert control over the strait, and stressed the need to reopen it for free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation.
  • Rubio said Washington categorically rejects a payment system for passage through Hormuz, with the president making clear it "is not going to happen."
  • Rubio described the strait as an international waterway and repeatedly argued covering it would set a dangerous precedent.
  • The US and the GCC ministers also welcomed a joint initiative by Oman and the International Maritime Organization to launch an evacuation plan for more than 11,000 seafarers stranded in the region.

Context: a war, an insurance, and the strait's closure

TASS reporting in the same coverage provided context for the diplomatic exchanges, describing a wider confrontation. On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran, hitting major cities including Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps retaliated with a sweeping attack on Israel, and US military installations in Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia were also hit. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to ships associated with the United States, Israel, and countries that supported the aggression against the Islamic Republic.

According to the reports, Washington and Tehran recently signed a memorandum of understanding providing for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. On June 21–22, negotiations between the United States and Iran, mediated by Doha and Islamabad, took place on the implementation of that agreement.

The Strait of Hormuz connects the energy-rich Persian Gulf to the wider ocean and is a critical artery for global oil and gas trade, with about a quarter of the world's oil and some 20% of liquefied natural gas carried through it. The reopening of the strait, the ministerial statement says, is essential to regional and global security, and free passage is protected under international law.