US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the conclusion of his visit to Bahrain that no Gulf country supports a fee for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to N12. The statement reinforces the Trump administration's opposition to what it calls Tehran's 'semantic game' of rebranding maritime tolls.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded his visit to Bahrain on Thursday, June 25, with a firm statement: none of the Gulf states support Iran's effort to levy fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to N12. The remark caps a diplomatic tour that included meetings with foreign ministers from Gulf Cooperation Council countries, during which Rubio reportedly sought to coordinate on the evolving indirect talks with Tehran. As The Zioneer reported earlier Thursday at 12:31 Jerusalem, Rubio had already called Iran's toll proposal a 'semantic game' and rejected any notion of maritime fees, a position President Trump reiterated on Wednesday at 23:43 Jerusalem, calling any inclusion of tolls in a final Iran deal 'unacceptable.'
Our thread, which began with Rubio's initial statement on Tuesday, June 23 at 19:17 Jerusalem, has shown a consistent US rejection of the tolls. In consecutive updates, all at the same minute on Tuesday, Rubio dismissed the fees as a 'semantic game,' stated no country may charge for the strait's use, and expressed readiness to help Iran if it abandons extremist views—while insisting tolls are non-negotiable. The current dispatch represents the first on-the-ground confirmation from a Gulf venue that no regional state backs the Iranian plan, following a Thursday 10:54 Jerusalem report that Gulf foreign ministers met Rubio in Bahrain specifically seeking reassurances that their security would not be compromised by any Iran deal.
As The Zioneer reported on Wednesday at 15:09 Jerusalem, Rubio had previously discussed the strait issue with UAE leadership. In a broader context, the desk has covered the evolving Gulf anxieties: on Thursday at 06:17 Jerusalem, Rubio assured Gulf states from Kuwait that their interests would be protected in negotiations. Meanwhile, Iran has maintained its position—on Saturday, June 13 at 21:13 Jerusalem, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman directly contradicted Trump's claim that no toll would be collected, asserting the strait is under Iranian and Omani sovereignty, not international waters.
What remains open is whether this consolidation of Gulf opposition actually affects Tehran's stance. Iran's foreign ministry has repeatedly insisted it will continue collecting fees, and no update from this dispatch indicates any shift in that position. The extent to which the Trump administration's 'no tolls' ultimatum is truly non-negotiable in the final deal also remains unaltered.
7 developments
- StrongMarco Rubio says US relations with Oman 'fine', dismisses Hormuz toll system
- StrongTrump reiterates: No final Iran deal may include tolls in Strait of Hormuz
- StrongIranian Foreign Ministry spokesman: toll collection in Strait of Hormuz continues, contradicting Trump
- DevelopingRubio dismisses Iranian 'extreme rhetoric', warns US will act if ships blocked
Source and signal
- Internal intake