At a July NATO summit, President Donald Trump declared the Iran nuclear deal effectively dead and reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports, then briefly floated a 20% fee on cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz—a vital global shipping lane. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, opposed such tolls, stating they would violate established international norms. Rubio’s comment, reported in early July, highlights a rift within the administration over how to handle escalating tit-for-tat strikes and maritime attacks in the strait, where control of passage rights remains central to the broader US-Iran conflict and carries major economic stakes for global oil trade.