Rubio once called Strait of Hormuz charges "unrealistic"

On July 14, according to CNN, Trump recently stated that the United States may charge a 20% safety toll for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. But just last month, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said charging for this critical waterway was "simply not feasible." During his visit to the three Gulf countries at the end of June, Rubio repeatedly stated that the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway and no passage fees should be charged to ships. "Whether you call it a fee, a toll or a donation, as long as you have to pay to get through, that's a toll," he said. He also questioned how the charging mechanism was implemented: "What if a ship refused to pay? It's not like road tolls, where you don't just get a ticket. If you fire on one ship and sink it, other ships will no longer dare to pass through. Such a mechanism is not only unwise, it is simply not feasible." Previously, Iran had said that it would not charge a "transit fee" in the Strait of Hormuz, but said it might charge fees for related services provided.