Marco Rubio Slams Iran's Strait of Hormuz Tolls as 'Unlawful, Illegal'

"Unlawful, illegal, unsustainable and unacceptable": US State Secy Marco Rubio slams tolls on Strait of Hormuz

New Delhi, May 26

On his flight to New Delhi ahead of the QUAD Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Rubio said that the Strait of Hormuz should be "open without tolls" and "no country in the world is accepting of a tolling system except Iran."

He said, "The strait needs to be open without tolls. What is happening there is unlawful, illegal, unsustainable and unacceptable. No country in the world is accepting of a tolling system except Iran."

Speaking on the prospects of a diplomatic agreement with Iran, he said, "The President (Donald Trump) had a historic call with a number of leaders from the region, and I think there is a strong alignment and agreement on what a preliminary draft should look like. It will take a couple of days to settle on."

He futher emphasised, "Either there is going to be a good deal, or there isn't going to be one."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived at the Delhi Airport on Tuesday to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting. He was also accompanied by the US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor.

Earlier on Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in Jaipur and visited the historic Amer Fort with his wife Jeanette Rubio and US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor.

Rubio is presently on a four-day official visit to India. The high-profile trip is aimed at recalibrating bilateral ties, which have faced certain headwinds since mid-last year.

In a post on X, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor praised Jaipur and said, "Jaipur, the Pink City, where every sunset paints the palaces in hues of rose and gold. Heart of Rajasthan!"

As Washington and Tehran continue to engage in ceasefire negotiations. US President Donald Trump said that Iran's enriched Uranium (Nuclear dust) will be "turned over" to the US to be destroyed or will be destroyed at an acceptable location.

Trump said this decision will be taken in "conjunction and collaboration" with Iran, signalling Tehran's relaxing its stand as the two countries attempt to reach a peace agreement.

"The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event," Trump said in a post Truth Social.

A US official noted that the presence of an Iranian delegation in Qatar on Monday, including senior members of Tehran's negotiating team, was viewed as a positive development, citing Qatar's role as a mediator in facilitating dialogue, CNN reported.

Earlier, Trump had asserted that any forthcoming accord with Tehran would strictly manifest as a "great and meaningful" deal, or the administration would walk away entirely, as diplomatic talks aimed at officially concluding the conflict continue to stretch out.

Articulating his stance on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump made it clear that the prospective pact remains unfinished, cautioning that it would only materialise if it satisfies his specific criteria.

— ANI