US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Iran imposing transit tolls in Strait of Hormuz is unacceptable

By  News On Air   May 22, 2026

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today that Iran imposing tolls for transit in the Strait of Hormuz is simply unacceptable and cannot happen. If this were to occur in the Strait of Hormuz, he said during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Sweden’s Helsingborg, then it would also happen in five other places around the world.

According to the US Secretary of State, there is no country in the world that should accept such a claim. Regarding the ongoing negotiations with Iran, Rubio said, they are awaiting updates on the current talks, but slight progress has been made. He emphasized that the fundamental principles remain the same; Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon. 

Earlier, US Secretary of State Rubio and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte met on the sidelines of the Nato Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Helsingborg. After their meeting, they said, Nato allies must urgently expand defence production and protect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.