Iranian officials are in negotiations with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) about creating a system to charge fees for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Iran is seeking to impose a toll on vessels entering and exiting the Persian Gulf similar to how Turkey taxes ships transiting the Dardanelles. China is involved in the talks.
On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that GCC states would not make a deal that allowed Iran to charge shipping fees. Additionally, the State Department issued a joint statement with the GCC Foreign Ministries, which said that the countries rejected any fees in the Strait.