Rubio warns against Iran Strait of Hormuz fees, says peace deal won't come 'at any price'
On a swing through the Gulf, Marco Rubio told allies that Washington seeks a verifiable agreement with Tehran but opposes any transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz, setting a red line for the 60-day peace talks.
Rubio's message to Gulf partners
In the Bahraini capital Manama, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Thursday, capping a three-nation tour that also took in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. It was his first visit to the region since Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding last week aimed at ending the four-month Iran war.
We want an agreement, but not one at any price. We want an agreement that is good, that is real, that is verifiable, and that lasts.
Rubio told the assembled foreign ministers that any final deal must not harm the security, stability, or prosperity of America's Gulf partners.
The fee dispute over the waterway
At the centre of the conversation was the Strait of Hormus, the narrow chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the conflict. Iran blocked the strait soon after the US-Israeli offensive launched on 28 February, sending energy prices soaring globally. Under last week's framework agreement, Tehran agreed to keep the passage free of charge for commercial vessels during a 60-day negotiation window. But Iran and Oman have since announced joint discussions on the "costs" of future administration of the strait, including possible maritime services, wording that US officials fear could open the door to tolls.
If we accepted that someone could charge for the use of an international waterway just because it is near its territorial space, this would spread around the world like a plague.
Rubio insisted that international waterways belong to no single state and that any fee would set a dangerous precedent, risking "total chaos" in global shipping.
Gulf states demand security assurances
GCC members, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, used the session to press for explicit guarantees that their interests and sovereignty would be protected in any final accord. Secretary-General Yasem al Budaiwi underscored that future agreements must be founded on international law, good neighbourliness, and non-interference.
Any future understanding or agreement must include the needs of the GCC states in a way that safeguards their interests and guarantees their security and stability.
Gulf nations have paid a steep price during the war; their military bases hosted US forces and their territories came under Iranian missile and drone attacks in retaliation for the February offensive.
The path to a final deal
Talks are now underway, with the aim of concluding a comprehensive peace treaty within 60 days. The deal is also expected to address Iran's controversial nuclear programme. Rubio reiterated that Washington will never accept a nuclear-armed Iran and that any pact must include robust verification measures. Meanwhile, Oman moved to calm fears by stating that future arrangements for the strait would not involve transit fees, even as the sultanate continues to discuss management costs with Tehran.
- US-Israeli offensive against Iran launched.
- Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, choking global energy shipments.
- US and Iran sign memorandum of understanding for 60-day peace talks; Hormuz passage guaranteed free for commercial ships during negotiations.
- Rubio meets GCC in Bahrain, warns that Hormuz tolls would be unacceptable and set a dangerous precedent.
