Strait of Hormuz: US, Iran, and Oman Maneuver as Rubio Rules Out Tolls

Rubio declares Iran will not charge tolls; Oman opens a fee-free corridor; traffic remains at 40% of pre-war levels.

Strait of Hormuz: US, Iran, and Oman Maneuver as Rubio Rules Out Tolls — On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington will not permit Iran to charge tolls or fees on the Strait of Hormuz.[^1] The declaration came as Oman announced a temporary maritime corridor for ships in the strait without fees, offering an alternative route.[^2] Rubio's statement, reported by both the Times of Israel and Felesteen, frames the US position as a red line in ongoing negotiations. The Times of Israel emphasizes Rubio's firmness, while Felesteen highlights Oman's initiative as a practical countermeasure. Traffic through the strait recently reached its highest level since the war began, though still only 40% of the pre-war average of 120 vessels per day.[^1] On Monday, 36 ships crossed, carrying 19 million barrels of oil.[^1] Meanwhile, the International Maritime Organization began evacuating over 11,000 sailors stranded by an Iranian blockade.[^1] The numbers underscore the strait's partial recovery but persistent fragility. Iran's envoy to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, said on Tuesday that Iran alone will decide how to use its unfrozen assets, pushing back against US oversight claims.[^3] The JPost report contrasts with Trump's earlier assertion that Iran agreed to full UN nuclear inspections, which Iranian officials denied.[^4] The disconnect between US and Iranian accounts continues to muddy the diplomatic picture, leaving the strait's status as both a chokepoint and a bargaining chip. Israel's Foreign Policy Under Strain: From Washington to Tehran — Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar argued that no country would tolerate the attacks Israel faces from Lebanon, rejecting international criticism of Israel's actions there.[^1] Sa'ar's remarks at a JNS conference in Jerusalem came as Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem affirmed that Lebanon has entered a new phase titled 'breaking the Israeli project.'[^2] The two statements underscore a widening gap between Israel's security rationale and the regional narrative. Former prime minister Naftali Bennett warned on Tuesday that Israel's relationship with the United States has entered a precarious perio