Manama, June 25 (SANA) U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Thursday that charging ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz could undermine the principle of freedom of navigation and set a precedent for similar measures in other international waterways.
Speaking at a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Bahrain, Rubio said allowing countries to impose transit fees on vessels passing through international waterways because of their geographic location could encourage similar actions elsewhere, disrupting global trade.
“International waterways do not belong to any single nation,” Rubio said, adding that preserving freedom of navigation is essential to the stability of global shipping and commerce.
Rubio said abandoning that principle could create uncertainty for international maritime transport and have wider consequences for global trade.
On June 21, U.S. President Donald Trump said no transit fees would be imposed on vessels using the Strait of Hormuz during the temporary ceasefire with Iran or afterward. He added, however, that Washington could consider measures affecting passage through the strategic waterway if negotiations with Tehran fail.
R.D/ABD
Rubio warns Strait of Hormuz transit fees could undermine global shipping
Editors Choice
