Rubio rejects any fees on Hormuz transit, says US will not pay

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington firmly opposes any fees or taxes imposed on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and that traffic should return to pre-war levels. Speaking to reporters, Rubio stressed that the United States will not make any payment for passage under any designation and that there will be no concessions on the issue. Rubio said Gulf states do not support charging transit fees and that Oman shares the same position. He accused Iran of meddling in the internal affairs of other countries by funding groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, and said Washington is not transferring or approving any funds to Iran. He added that there are no discussions with Gulf states on establishing a fund for Iran's reconstruction. On his regional tour, Rubio said he was visiting to deliver the message to US partners that Washington will not endorse any action that threatens their security. On Iraq, he said there are positive developments in Baghdad and that the US remains in contact with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, referred to in the source as al-Zeydi. Rubio described the previous day's Lebanon-Israel talks as very good and said he hoped to build on that progress in talks scheduled for later in the day.