Hormuz tolls would ‘spread like contagion’ to other waterways, Rubio says after IRGC warns of unauthorized crossing | Today’s news
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, currently in the Middle East on his first trip since the US and Iran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU), warned on Thursday that Iran’s decision to impose tolls on ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz would also spread to other waterways and risk “total chaos”.
Rubio warns that the Hormuz toll would spread to other waterways
Rubio made the remarks at a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Bahrain, adding: “International waterways do not belong to any nation state. That is a fundamental principle in today’s world, without which the world would be in total chaos.”
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He added: “If we actually accept that you can charge money to use an international waterway because it happens to be close to your territorial space, then it will spread like a contagion around the world.”
He went on to say that while the U.S. wants a peace deal with Iran, it doesn’t want it at “any price,” noting, “While we want a deal, we don’t want a deal at any price. We want a deal that’s good, we want a deal that’s real, we want a deal that’s verifiable, and we want a deal that’s respected.”
Tehran warns against crossing Hormuz without approval
The top US diplomat’s comments came after Iran warned ships against unauthorized crossing of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Thursday against any unauthorized crossing of the Strait of Hormuz, saying vessels that do not comply “will be dealt with,” AFP reported.
The IRGC said: “The only route allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz is the route announced by the Islamic Republic of Iran.” She further warned in the statement that any crossing without permission is “unacceptable and extremely dangerous”. The ideological wing of Iran’s military also condemned what they described as a new route through the waterway that was announced by “certain authorities”.
But Rubio reiterated that Washington would not accept any tolls or fees.
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The Strait of Hormuz remains an obstacle
The US and Iran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding earlier this month to end the war the US and Israel started on February 28. As the conflict appeared to end with the official signing of the memorandum of understanding, uncertainty continues over Hormuz, which remains a key point of negotiation between Tehran and Washington.
According to reports, the Islamic Republic has said it plans to introduce what it calls maritime service charges, as opposed to tolls, while Washington says it is an international waterway and therefore should not be charged.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow stretch of water between Iran and the Persian Gulf countries, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passed before the war. But since late February, Iran’s IRGC has shut down a major waterway several times, a move that rattled global energy markets and pushed oil prices to record highs.
A memorandum of understanding signed by Tehran and Washington to end the conflict allows commercial vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without paying fees for another 60 days, a period of negotiations to finalize the agreement.
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As negotiations between Iran and the US are still ongoing, it remains uncertain what arrangements will be in place when this period expires. Earlier on Tuesday, Iran and Oman said they would review fees to be collected for services related to managing the strait.
