Rubio Says NO On Hormuz Tolls, Iran Refuses Missile Limits

US Seeks To Calm Gulf Allies Amid Growing Doubts Over Tehran Deal

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has declared that Iran will never be allowed to charge tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, drawing a clear red line as Washington battles growing scepticism over its controversial ceasefire agreement with Tehran.

Arriving in the United Arab Emirates for talks with Gulf allies, Rubio insisted the vital shipping route must remain permanently open and free for international commerce.

"It’s an international waterway," Rubio said. "No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway."

His comments come after confusion over the wording of last week's US-Iran memorandum of understanding, which guarantees toll-free passage for only 60 days before future administration of the strait is discussed.

Gulf States Fear Iran Windfall

Rubio's mission is aimed at reassuring nervous Gulf partners who fear the agreement has handed Tehran enormous economic rewards while securing few meaningful concessions in return.

The deal paves the way for the release of vast frozen Iranian assets and reconstruction funding that critics fear could ultimately strengthen Iran's military capabilities.

Among the most concerned are the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain, all of which host major American military facilities and have endured direct Iranian missile attacks during the conflict.

Many Gulf governments also want any final settlement to include restrictions on Iran's ballistic missile programme.

Iran Refuses To Budge On Missiles

Tehran immediately slammed the suggestion.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said ballistic missiles would never be part of any future agreement and argued they were essential to national defence.

"If we did not have our missiles, Israel and America would have ploughed through Iran the way they did Gaza," he said.

The blunt rejection highlights another major obstacle facing negotiators as they attempt to turn the fragile ceasefire into a lasting peace deal.

Disputes Continue Over Nuclear Inspections

The row over missile restrictions follows growing confusion surrounding nuclear inspections.

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have repeatedly claimed Iran has agreed to extensive international monitoring of its nuclear programme.

Iranian officials continue to deny that any new commitments have been made.

That contradiction has become one of the most contentious issues hanging over the talks.

Gulf Security Remains Central

Behind the diplomatic language lies a deeper strategic battle.

Iran continues to argue that the long-term solution for regional stability is the removal of American military forces from the Gulf.

Tehran has even accused several Gulf states of helping facilitate US military operations during the war.

Washington, meanwhile, is working to reassure regional partners that American security guarantees remain intact despite the ceasefire.

Peace Deal Faces Growing Pressure

The agreement that ended the war has delivered a temporary halt to fighting, but major disputes remain unresolved.

Questions over nuclear inspections, ballistic missiles, frozen assets and the future control of the Strait of Hormuz continue to divide Washington and Tehran.

Rubio's intervention signals the White House recognises those concerns and is trying to reassure increasingly uneasy allies that the US has not surrendered leverage.

Whether Tehran shares that interpretation may become clear long before the 60-day negotiating window expires.

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I don't think it's sunk in to Little Marco's brain - the US has NO say to influence anything Iran wishes to do.

Someone please get the memo to him that the US lost.