US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, “The Strait of Hormuz is international waters, and no country has the right to demand transit fees.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, upon reaching Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as part of his Gulf tour, made an assessment regarding the ongoing memorandum of understanding negotiations with Iran. Rubio stated that the Strait of Hormuz is international waters, saying, “According to current international law, no country is allowed to demand transit fees or taxes from international waters. The rules in international waters around the world are like this, and we expect it to remain so here. I believe all countries in the region agree with us on this matter.”
In response to a question about whether Iran will receive a share of global investments in the future, Rubio said, “This entirely depends on whether the Iranian administration chooses to be a normal state instead of a revolutionary movement exporting terrorism. If they choose this direction, incredible opportunities could arise for Iran, just as other countries in the region benefit from direct foreign investments.”
Touching on the negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, Rubio stated that these negotiations are ‘completely separate from’ the negotiation process between the Washington and Tehran administrations, saying, “It is true that there is an Iranian issue in the context of Lebanon, which is Tehran's support and sponsorship of Hezbollah. This element will be addressed as part of our discussions with the Iranians. However, the future of Lebanon belongs to the Lebanese people through their own sovereign elected government.”
