UN says it will evacuate sailors stranded in Strait of Hormuz, as Rubio warns against tolls

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. UN says it will evacuate sailors stranded in Strait of Hormuz, as Rubio warns against tollsImage source, ReutersImage caption, Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaking to reporters after landing in Abu DhabiByOlivia IrelandPublished23 June 2026, 20:14 BSTUpdated 3 minutes agoThe UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) is set to evacuate more than 11,000 sailors who have been stranded in the Gulf because of the US-Israel war against Iran. IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez said the "large-scale operation" would be carried out in cooperation with Iran, Oman, the US, other coastal states in the region and the maritime industry. "We have secured the necessary safety guarantees and have thoroughly verified the conditions for safe navigation to support these operations," he added.

An interim deal was signed last week to end the conflict, but both the US and Iran continue to clash on details of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The US has said the MoU includes guarantees that Iran's nuclear weapons programme will come under inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). US President Donald Trump posted on social media on Tuesday: "Iran has fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections long into the future (Infinity!!!

The Details

This will insure 'Nuclear Honesty. '"Shortly before Trump's post, Iran said the UN watchdog would not be able to inspect nuclear sites bombed by the US and Israel last year. In response, a US official said: "the Iranians have agreed to robust IAEA inspections of the remains of their nuclear weapons programme.

The Iranian regime will say what they have to say for their domestic audience. " Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a visit to Pakistan on Tuesday that Iran "will never negotiate with anyone, under any circumstances, ever, about our defensive capabilities". "If the missiles we have for our defence did not exist, Israel and the United States would have ploughed Iran just like Gaza, showing no mercy to either the old or the young," he added.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio began a tour of the Gulf on Tuesday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and will also visit Kuwait and Bahrain - which both host US military bases - to discuss the deal with Tehran. The secretary of state warned on Tuesday that no country is allowed to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been pushing to charge ships passing through. "It's an international waterway.

What Experts Say

No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway. That's existing international law," he said as he arrived in the UAE. "I don't think we have anybody to convince around here in that regard.

I think all the countries in this region would agree with us. " Image source, ReutersImage caption, Vessels using the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Masandam, Oman on 18 JuneEvacuating stranded sailors hinges on the Strait remaining open.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.