Rubio says no country allowed to charge tolls on Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that no country is allowed to charge tolls on the crucial Strait of Hormuz, calling the channel an "international waterway."

Rubio made the remarks during a press availability in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, amid concerns that Iran could charge a fee on ships transiting the strait in the future as last week's preliminary peace deal between Washington and Tehran stipulates safe passage of vessels through the waterway "with no charge for 60 days only."

"It's an international waterway. No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway," the secretary said, referring to the Strait of Hormuz.

"That's existing international law. That's the way it is in international waters all over the world."

Korea and other countries have been closely watching developments in the negotiations between the United States and Iran, hoping that the peace talks would lead to the restoration of free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for oil, natural gas, fertilizer and other commodities.

Currently, 22 Korea-linked vessels remain trapped inside the strait, which Iran all but closed during the U.S.-Israeli war against it.

Yonhap