Is Iran Turning Hormuz Into a Toll Booth? Trump and Iran Clash Over Fees 

A growing dispute over who controls the Strait of Hormuz is threatening to complicate fragile US-Iran peace talks, despite both sides claiming the waterway is open.

According to Al Jazeera, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio fiercely rejected Iranian plans to impose any future toll system, declaring, “It’s an international waterway. No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway.”

The disagreement comes at a delicate time during the US and Iran’s 60-day negotiation process toward a final agreement, with Iranian officials saying the issue is far from settled. 

Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, signalled that Tehran will not yield its newfound leverage. “Hormuz will never return” to its prewar status, Ghalibaf declared.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday that Iran had assured the US there would be “no tolls, insurance costs, or charges of any kind” for vessels crossing the strait. Iran has not confirmed that claim, according to CNBC.

Ship traffic is running at roughly half of prewar levels. The main central route remains mined and closed, with vessels using narrower northern and southern routes. Iran agreed to conduct demining work within 30 days.

Legal experts say collecting tolls would violate international maritime law. “You can’t impose fees for a ship exercising its right of transit passage,” Harvard Law professor James Kraska told CNBC. “Fees in this context are just not lawful.”