Lawmaker warns Iran is trying to 'toll' strategic straits; U.N. resolution may face veto

A lawmaker told the House Committee on Foreign Affairs that Iran is attempting to impose a "tolling system" on strategic straits and is pressing Oman to join the plan, raising concerns about the status of international waterways.

"Iran is trying to create a tolling system," the lawmaker said, adding, "They're trying to convince Oman, by the way, to join them in this tolling system." The speaker argued that "in an international waterway, there is not a country in the world that should accept that."

The lawmaker said the issue is the subject of a United Nations Security Council resolution sponsored by Bahrain and asserted that the measure has attracted "the highest number of cosponsors of any resolution ever before the Security Council." He cautioned, however, that "a couple of countries on the Security Council are thinking about vetoing it," calling a veto "lamentable."

Describing efforts to secure an international response, the speaker said the U.S. is working to build the "global consensus that's necessary to prevent this from happening," and is pursuing that outcome through the United Nations. "Let's see if the United Nations still works," he said, adding that most countries represented at the meeting have signed on as cosponsors or are expected to soon.

The remarks in the transcript did not identify a specific bill, motion, or formal vote; the lawmaker characterized the discussions as diplomatic and multilateral efforts and said the U.N. remains the vehicle for seeking a resolution. The immediate next steps, as stated by the speaker, are continued diplomatic outreach and efforts to secure broader U.N. support.