Marco Rubio’s Warning ‘No Country’ Can Charge ‘Tolls’ in Hormuz Goes Viral After Trump’s New ‘20%’ Fee Announcement

(Screengrab via CBS News)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s warning in late June that “no country” can charge tolls through the Strait of Hormuz went viral on Monday, hours after President Donald Trump announced the United States would begin collecting a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strategic waterway.

The apparent contradiction emerged after Trump abruptly declared in a Truth Social post that the U.S. would reimpose its naval blockade of Iran and assume what he described as a permanent security role over one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, following another round of military exchanges between Washington and Tehran.

“We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving,” Trump wrote.

He added: “The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’ but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World.”

“The process and formation will begin immediately,” Trump said.

But Trump’s new policy drew attention to remarks Rubio made just weeks earlier, on June 23, during a visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he slammed the prospect of transit fees in the waterway in a caution to Iran.

“That’s the law. It’s an international waterway. No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway,” Rubio said. “That’s existing international law. That’s the way it is in international waterways all over the world and that’s the way we’ll expect it’ll be here.”

“I think all the countries in this region would agree,” he added.

Now that it’s Rubio’s boss who is implementing the fees, the CBS News clip of the secretary of state’s comment was resurfaced and was circulated online, including by the network’s own senior White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe, garnering thousands of views.

Dozens of users began to post the video in reply to anyone sharing Trump’s new announcement.

The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas exports, making it one of the globe’s most strategically important maritime routes.

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