US will not accept Iran control over Hormuz: Marco Rubio

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran appears intent on retaining control over the Strait of Hormuz, warning that such a scenario would be unacceptable to Washington, after President Donald Trump scrapped the latest round of talks with Tehran over the weekend.

Responding to reports that Iran had proposed reopening the strait following the collapse of negotiations, Rubio told Fox News the US would not accept any arrangement allowing Tehran to dictate passage or impose tolls.

"If opening the strait means you need Iran's permission or have to pay to pass, that's not opening it," Rubio said in an interview aired Monday. "We cannot allow a system where Iran decides who can use an international waterway or at what cost."


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The Strait of Hormuz - a vital chokepoint that typically handles about one-fifth of global oil and LNG flows - has been effectively shut since late February, when the US and Israel launched strikes on Tehran.

While Iranian threats initially disrupted shipping, the US is now enforcing a naval blockade targeting Iran-linked vessels.