US Rejects Iranian Tolls on Strait of Hormuz as Nuclear Deal Negotiations Hit Early Hurdles

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Tuesday that Washington will not accept any tolls or fees imposed by Iran on the Strait of Hormuz, as disagreements over the vital waterway, nuclear inspections, and missile programmes expose early strains in negotiations to end the Middle East conflict.

Washington and Tehran have signed a preliminary agreement to halt hostilities and concluded a first round of talks in Switzerland, initiating a 60-day negotiation period covering sanctions relief, Iran's nuclear programme, and the future of the Strait of Hormuz.

An Iranian blockade early in the conflict disrupted maritime traffic through the strait, causing global oil prices to surge. However, crossings have been increasing since the deal was signed.

Iran has repeatedly insisted it will retain control over the waterway. On Tuesday, Tehran and Oman issued a joint statement saying they would study the administration of the trade route and the costs to be charged for services, while asserting their sovereignty over the strait.

Rubio, speaking during a regional tour in the United Arab Emirates, said Washington would oppose any such move. "It's an international waterway. No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway," he said, adding that he believed "all the countries in this region would agree."

Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, had earlier stated that Hormuz "will never return" to the pre-war status quo, despite both sides agreeing to establish communication lines to keep the waterway open.

The United Nations maritime agency announced it would begin evacuating more than 11,000 sailors stranded by the blockade, working with Iran, Oman, and the United States after securing "the necessary safety guarantees."

Traffic through the strait on Monday reached its highest level since the war began, according to two maritime tracking platforms, though it remained just over 40 percent of the normal peacetime level of about 120 vessels per day.

Diplomatic activity was intensive on Tuesday, with Iran's president visiting mediator Pakistan, Rubio beginning a tour of Gulf allies and Lebanon, and Israel and the United States holding more direct talks in Washington.

Tehran signalled that its ballistic missile programme would not be part of any final settlement. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in Pakistan, "If the missiles we have for our defence did not exist, Israel and the United States would have ploughed Iran just like Gaza." He added that the Islamic republic would "never negotiate with anyone, under any circumstances, ever, about our defensive capabilities."

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that the preliminary US-Iran agreement made no mention of ballistic missiles, saying there could not be "double standards" on which countries may possess them.

Iran fired hundreds of missiles and thousands of drones at Israel and Gulf neighbours during the war, while Israel has long viewed the programme as an existential threat.

US President Donald Trump, who previously sought to include missiles and Tehran's support for armed proxies in negotiations, appeared last week to soften his position, saying it was "a little bit unfair" for Iran not to have some missiles if other countries did.

Iran also denied a claim by US Vice President JD Vance that Tehran had agreed to invite International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors back to nuclear sites bombed by the United States and Israel last year. Trump, however, insisted Iran had "fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections long into the future."

When the US joined Israel's previous war with Iran in mid-2025, it bombed nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, including with powerful bunker-busting munitions. The extent of the damage remains unknown despite Trump claiming they were "obliterated."

Iran's UN ambassador Ali Bahreini told reporters "there hasn't been such a decision" to accept IAEA inspectors.

Mediators Pakistan and Qatar said both sides had agreed on a "roadmap" to reach a final settlement, but significant differences remain on key issues.