Rubio said calling it a toll or a fee is merely a wording difference.

US Energy Secretary Wright warned the EU that if it refuses to relax methane regulations, US gas supplies will "flow to other regions." He said: "If this regulation is not meaningfully reformed, it will cause serious pain for Europe that is entirely unnecessary," and added the issue is not about escalation but that "our energy will go somewhere else." EU energy commissioner Dan Jørgensen has vowed to resist pressure from the US and other LNG exporters and to press ahead with revisions aimed at curbing methane emissions. The US has previously warned the regulation's complexity and potential fines could threaten trade. EU energy ministers will meet in Luxembourg on Friday to discuss the rules.

Iran's oil minister said the only way to secure stability and security in West Asia — a major global energy supplier — is for foreign forces to withdraw, for US military bases to be dismantled, and for security responsibilities to be transferred to regional states.