US Rejects Iran's Control Over Strait of Hormuz

Washington (ANTARA) - The United States will not approve any arrangement that allows Iran to decide who may or may not use the international waterway, nor impose levies for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“We cannot tolerate their efforts to normalise a system in which Iran decides who may use the international waterway and how much you must pay them,” Rubio told Fox News on Monday.

He added that US President Donald Trump has the authority to decide whether to continue the war against Iran.

Previously, on Sunday (26/4), Iranian President Masoud Pesheshkian, in a conversation with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, stated that Tehran would not participate in peace talks under pressure, threats, or a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

To continue dialogue, Pesheshkian demanded that the US remove all obstacles, including the blockade of that strategic waterway.

Trump had previously announced that he had cancelled a trip by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan for the next round of talks with Iran.

Tensions have risen in the Middle East since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February 2026. Iran responded by attacking Israeli territory and several US military facilities in the region.

Then, on 7 April, Washington and Tehran announced a two-week ceasefire. However, negotiations between the two countries in Pakistan to end the conflict failed to produce a decision.

On 21 April, Trump announced that he would extend the ceasefire until Tehran submits its proposal to resolve the conflict and until negotiations are completed.