Rubio says tolls on Strait of Hormuz will not happen

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that charging tolls on the Strait of Hormuz will not happen, reiterating U.S. President Donald Trump's opposition to any fee on shipping through the critical waterway. The statement came amid reports that Iran seeks to establish a mechanism with Oman to regulate traffic in the strait.

Separately, U.S. Vice President JD Vance stressed that international waterways should be free of tolls, underscoring the need for a final peace deal with Iran to ensure the strait is not used as a choke point for the global economy.

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Rubio's remarks were reported during a press availability in Kuwait on Wednesday (June 24, 2026), as he reaffirmed the president's stance. "I think the whole world will be against any mechanism that charges money to use an international waterway. It's that simple. The president's already said that that's not going to happen," Rubio told reporters. He added, "I know of no country on the planet that supports tolling or a fee for the use of the straits. That's not going to happen. The president has been abundantly clear." He described the Strait of Hormuz as an "international waterway."

Vance's remarks came during a White House press briefing on Thursday (June 18, 2026), where he noted that the 60-day negotiation period, laid out in a recently signed memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, officially started that day. "We believe international waterways should be free of tolls, and that's been our position," he said. He pointed out that what's at issue concerning the strait is "not about tolling" but "about ensuring that the straits are never used as a choke point for the global economy ever again."

Vance also noted that the position aligns with regional interests: "It's frankly not what the Iranians want. It's not what the Omanis want. It's not what the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) wants either. So what we are going to do, of course working with our allies in the region, is to ensure that that is reflected in the final deal." He warned, "If that's not reflected in the final deal, there's not going to be a final deal."

Key Claims

• The MOU between the United States and Iran stipulates that Iran will make arrangements using its best efforts for safe passage of commercial vessels "with no charge" "for 60 days only," from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and vice versa. This provision has raised questions about what would happen after the 60-day period.
• South Korea and other countries rely on the Strait of Hormuz for energy imports, with the waterway having been responsible for about a fifth of the world's oil supply before the war began on Feb. 28. Two dozen South Korea-linked ships remain trapped in the strait, according to a Yonhap report from June 18. A later Yonhap report from June 24 put the number at 18 vessels.
• Rubio was in Kuwait to reassure allies in the region amid questions over whether the recent MOU between the United States and Iran, which is aimed at ending their war, could help improve their security interests.
• In a separate development, Rubio discussed "recent events" in the strait with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday (June 12, 2026). State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in an official statement that "the Secretary stressed that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with orders from U.S. forces as they seek to uphold peace and security in the Strait." During the call, Jaishankar lodged a strong protest against the death of Indian nationals in U.S. attacks on ships off the coast of Oman. "Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified," Jaishankar said in a post on X. The vessels MV Jalveer and MT Sentebello were attacked in the region earlier that week; one attack resulted in the death of three Indian seafarers on Wednesday (June 10, 2026). On Saturday (June 13, 2026), India denied reports that a fourth vessel, MT Liaki Freedom, was attacked near Oman on Friday night. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said the ministry had contacted the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel and confirmed that all crew members were safe.