Iran considers Strait of Hormuz toll

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on May 22 there had been “some slight progress” in talks with Iran, while ruling out any arrangement that would let Tehran charge ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Reports of an Iranian transit-fee plan moved from social media into mainstream coverage this week, with the New York Times reporting on May 21 that Iran and Oman were in talks over a ship payment system for the waterway. Rubio said a toll regime “can’t happen” and called it “unacceptable,” while President Donald Trump said the strait should remain “open” and “free.” ### Where did the toll story come from? The New York Times reported on May 21 that Iran and Oman were discussing a payment system for ships using the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. The report indicated the talks were part of wider bargaining over a possible end to the current conflict and over who would control access to the waterway. (cnbc.com) Marco Rubio had already framed the issue publicly before Friday’s comments. In a May 5 State Department statement, Rubio said Iran had made “attempts to charge tolls” for the strait and said a U.S.-backed draft U.N. Security Council resolution would require Iran to stop “attacks, mining, and tolling.” (nytimes.com) ### What exactly did Rubio say on Friday? Marco Rubio told reporters on Thursday in Miami, with the remarks carried in coverage published May 22, that there were “good signs” or “some slight progress” in negotiations with Iran. In the same comments, he said, “No one in the world is in favor of a tolling system. It can’t happen [and] it would be unacceptable.” (state.gov) Donald Trump also rejected the idea on Thursday. CNBC reported that Trump said his administration had “total control” of the waterway and added: “We want it open. We want it free. We don’t want tolls. It’s international. It’s an international waterway.” ### Why is the Strait of Hormuz central to this fight? (cnbc.com) The U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a June 2025 analysis that oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz averaged 20 million barrels per day in 2024, equal to about 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption. The agency described Hormuz as the world’s most important oil chokepoint and said few alternatives exist for moving Gulf oil exports if the route is disrupted. (cnbc.com) The International Energy Agency says about 20 million barrels per day of oil, roughly a quarter of world seaborne oil trade, move through the strait, and that disruptions would also affect liquefied natural gas exports from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. ### Is this only about shipping fees? (eia.gov) The State Department’s May 5 statement tied tolling to a broader U.S. case that Iran has threatened freedom of navigation in the strait through attacks, mines and attempted control over passage. Rubio said the proposed U.N. resolution was drafted with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar. (iea.org) CNBC reported on May 22 that tolls are one of several unresolved issues in the talks, alongside Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. The same report said Tehran was reviewing a U.S. proposal and that Iranian media had described the latest exchange as narrowing gaps “to some extent.” ### What should readers watch next? (state.gov) The United States said on May 5 that it expected a U.N. Security Council vote on its draft resolution “in the coming days.” That resolution, according to the State Department, would demand that Iran cease tolling and cooperate on mine disclosure and removal in the Strait of Hormuz. (cnbc.com) May 22 remarks from Rubio and Trump show Washington is treating tolling as a red-line issue even while it says diplomacy has inched forward. The next concrete signs will be any formal Iranian or Omani announcement on a payment system, and any U.N. action on the U.S. resolution. (cnbc.com) (state.gov)