ecretary of State Marco Rubio warned Friday that Iran is pushing a dangerous new strategy in the Strait of Hormuz that could upend global shipping lanes and embolden other nations to follow suit.
Speaking in Helsingborg, Sweden, during a NATO foreign ministers meeting, Rubio accused Tehran of attempting to create a “tolling system” in one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
“They’re trying to convince Oman, by the way, to join them in this tolling system in an international waterway,” Rubio said.
“There is not a country in the world that should accept that. I don’t know of a country in the world that’s in favor of it, except Iran, but there’s no country in the world that should accept it,” he continued.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the planet’s most critical maritime choke points, with a massive share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments flowing through the narrow passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea.
Rubio warned that allowing Iran to impose any form of passage fee or maritime control scheme would set a dangerous global precedent.
“I don’t know of anyone in the world that should be in favor of a tolling system in an international waterway, that’s just not acceptable. It can’t happen,” Rubio said.
The secretary of state argued that if the international community tolerates such a move in Hormuz, other nations could attempt similar actions elsewhere.
“If that were to happen in the Strait of Hormuz, it will happen in five other places around the world,” Rubio said.
“Why would countries all over the world say, ‘Well, we want to do this too’?”
Rubio also stressed the broader economic and geopolitical implications, saying the waterway is vital not just to NATO allies but to countries across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
“Not to mention how vital and critical that strait is to every country represented here today, but frankly, to countries not represented here today, particularly the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
Watch the clip below:
🚨 MARCO RUBIO JUST WARNED THE ENTIRE WORLD AND WENT OFF
"Iran is trying to set up a TOLLING system in international waterway. That's just not acceptable. It can't happen. If that were to happen in the Straits of Hormuz, it will happen in 5 other places around the WORLD!"
"WHY… pic.twitter.com/HlnFNasDsV
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 22, 2026
