US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday warned that allowing Iran to impose tolls on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz would be chaotic, as it will lay forth a precedent for other waterways to subvert the fundamental principles of international navigation and risk creating global instability.
Speaking at a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Bahrain, Rubio argued that accepting Iranian fees for passage through the strategic waterway could encourage similar actions elsewhere around the world.
“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,” Rubio said.
“If in fact we accepted that you can charge money to use an international waterway because it happens to be near your territorial space, well then this will spread throughout the world like a contagion,” he added.
Rubio’s remarks come amid ongoing debate over the future administration of the Strait of Hormuz following the memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran to end their months long-war and launch a 60-day negotiating process toward a broader settlement, CBS News reported.
The Islamic Republic has suggested that while commercial traffic would remain toll-free during the initial negotiation period, it may seek to introduce fees for vessels using the waterway afterwards. The proposal has raised concerns among regional states and the international shipping industry.
On his first regional tour since the agreement was reached, Rubio stressed that the US remains committed to securing a lasting deal with Iran, but said Washington would not accept an agreement that compromises regional security.
“While we want a deal, we don’t want a deal at any price,” Rubio said. “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 adhered to.”
Earlier in Kuwait, Rubio sought to reassure Gulf allies that their interests would remain central to US diplomacy with Tehran.
“We’re going to be completely aligned with our partners in the Gulf,” he said, pledging that Washington would consult regional partners on decisions related to negotiations with Iran.
Rubio earlier arrived in Bahrain after meetings with leaders in Kuwait and the UAE and was expected to discuss regional security, maritime navigation and the next phase of US-Iran negotiations with GCC officials.
While the interim US-Iran agreement focuses on maintaining the ceasefire, reopening maritime routes and advancing talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, it does not directly address Gulf concerns over Tehran’s ballistic missile programme and regional activities.
Rubio insisted, however, that Washington would not pursue any arrangement that undermines the security of its regional partners.
“We’re not going to do anything that undermines the security of our allies,” he said.
