Iran collecting tolls in the Strait of Hormuz should not be part of a final peace agreement with the United States and Israel, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO and former Texas Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison told Newsmax on Wednesday.
Appearing on Newsmax's "National Report,' Hutchison warned that allowing Tehran to profit from one of the world's most critical shipping lanes would effectively reward the regime and undermine long-term security goals.
"We're basically telling them, yeah, you can go and collect this money. Well, I don’t think that will last," Hutchison said, adding that any final agreement would require reopening the strait under a more stable, internationally accepted framework.
Her comments come as reports indicate Iran has sought to impose fees on oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz following a ceasefire in the war with the U.S. and Israel — a move that has raised alarms among U.S. allies and global energy markets.
Hutchison emphasized that the focus of ongoing negotiations should remain on eliminating Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities, which she described as a direct threat not only to the Middle East but also to Europe and potentially the United States.
"This is our opportunity to take the nuclear capability away from Iran," she said, adding that Tehran has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to support terrorism through proxies while expanding its ballistic missile reach.
She argued that any durable peace must ensure Iran cannot continue developing weapons that could destabilize the region or threaten Western nations.
At the same time, Hutchison suggested that regional players, particularly Gulf nations whose oil depends on safe passage through the strait, would have a strong interest in pushing back against any Iranian tolling system.
"If they are going to charge fees, then I think the surrounding neighbors will certainly have a say in that because it is their oil going through," she said, noting that U.S. allies have stood together in confronting both Iran's nuclear ambitions and disruptions to shipping.
Hutchison also pointed to the importance of broader international cooperation, including from European and Indo-Pacific allies, to ensure that any agreement preserves freedom of navigation and prevents Iran from gaining undue leverage over global energy supplies.
While acknowledging that recent U.S. actions have achieved key objectives, Hutchison cautioned that it is too early to declare a complete victory.
"I think we have done what we intended to do, which is assure that the nuclear capabilities were disrupted," she said. "So I think we have a partial victory, but it isn’t what the long term would hold."
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Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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