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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Strait of Hormuz must be treated as an international waterway, and Iran is not allowed to charge ships tolls or fees.
“It’s an international waterway. No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway. That’s existing international law,” Rubio said Tuesday.
The status of the Strait of Hormuz has become a major issue in negotiations to end the war. Prior to the US and Israeli attack on Iran in February, the Strait was treated as an international waterway. However, in response to the war, Tehran seized control of the Strait.
Iranian officials have argued that because the Strait is less than 24 miles wide, it is within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman. Tehran says it plans to change ship maintenance and environmental fees to transit the waterway.
President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Oman if it goes along with Iran’s plan for the Strait.
Rubio, who is also serving as Trump’s National Security Adviser, said that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is a separate issue from the Iran war. “That process is separate. It’s separate because Lebanon is a sovereign country. It has a government, and when it comes to Lebanon and what’s happening inside of Lebanon, we’re going to negotiate and deal directly with the Lebanese government,” he said.
Rubio continued, “There’s an Iranian issue with regards to Lebanon, and that is their support and sponsorship of Hezbollah. And so that factor will be discussed as part of our conversations with the Iranians.”
Tehran says any deal to end the war must include a full end to the Israeli war against Lebanon.
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