US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared the Strait of Hormuz an international waterway, asserting that any attempt by Iran to charge vessels for passage is unacceptable and would lead to global chaos.
US Vice President JD Vance stated that international waterways, specifically the Strait of Hormuz, should be free of tolls. He emphasized the need for a final peace deal with Iran to prevent the strait from being used as an economic choke point, noting that a 60-day negotiation period has begun.
Singapore's Foreign Minister Balakrishnan and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi agree on keeping critical global shipping lanes open, emphasizing free passage and shared international interests.
PLA warships transited sensitive international waterways off southwestern Japan twice this week, a rare move seen as a clear warning to Tokyo over its recent actions relating to Taiwan. The transits marked the start and end of exercises in the western Pacific, outbound through the Yokoate Channel on Sunday and returning via the Yonaguni-Iriomote Waterway on Wednesday. This is the first publicly recorded instance of PLA warships operating in the waterway between Iriomote Island and Yonaguni, Japan's westernmost island just 110km from Taiwan.
