U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on May 26 that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open “one way or the other,” after U.S. forces carried out what Washington described as defensive strikes in southern Iran, with Rubio also expressing guarded confidence that negotiations with Tehran would ultimately produce an agreement.
“The straits have to be open, they’re going to be open one way or the other, so they need to be open,” Rubio told reporters aboard his plane in Jaipur, India, when asked about the strategic waterway following the May 25 U.S. strikes on Iranian boats and missile launch sites.
Rubio said negotiations over a draft agreement with Iran were advancing but cautioned that finalizing the language could still take several days.
“Look, I think our position is well-stated,” Rubio said. “The president had a very important, I think, historic call just a couple days ago, with a number of leaders from the region. I think there’s strong alignment and agreement on what a draft should look like.”
He noted that disagreements remained over specific wording and details.
“Like anything with something like this, it’s going to take a couple days to settle on, even down to the disagreements over a word, sentence,” Rubio said. “There’s going to be a deal, we’re going to have to work through that, but this is either going to be a good deal or there isn’t going to be one.”
Rubio’s comments came amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf following renewed U.S. military action against Iran and continued disruptions to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy choke points.
The U.S. military said on May 25 that it conducted “self-defense strikes” against Iranian missile launch sites and boats attempting to lay mines near southern Iran. U.S. Central Command spokesman Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins previously told The Epoch Times that the strikes were intended “to protect [U.S.] troops from threats posed by Iranian forces” while maintaining restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.
Iranian media reported explosions near Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Jask late on May 25, although Tehran has not formally commented on the incidents.
Without commenting on the specific incidents, a spokesperson for Iran’s military warned that any new attack by the United States or Israel would trigger a “very devastating” response.
Iranian Brig. Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi was cited by Iranian state-run media outlet Islamic Republic News Agency as saying that Tehran was fully prepared for war and would respond forcefully to “any attack and new adventurism” targeting Iran, noting that retaliation would involve surprise tactics and be far harsher than in previous clashes.
Shekarchi also said Iran would continue to defend its national interests by maintaining control of the Strait of Hormuz “with authority.”
About 20 percent of global oil supplies normally pass through the narrow waterway, which Iran has been restricting in retaliation for the joint U.S.–Israeli military campaign, launched on Feb. 28 with a series of devastating strikes that left much of Iran’s leadership and military decimated.
Iran’s blockade has disrupted global shipping and sent oil prices and transportation costs surging, putting pressure on the Trump administration as soaring gas prices have driven consumer sentiment to near-record lows.
Iran Rejects ‘Toll’ Characterization
Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on May 25 denied reports that Tehran intended to impose tolls on ships using the strait, saying instead that Iran and Oman were working on a legal framework to ensure maritime security and environmental protection.
Baghaei said any fees under discussion would relate to navigation and environmental services and “should not be referred to as a ‘toll’ or ‘duty.’”
He also said Iran and Oman believed that the strait should remain usable for the entire world and that no other countries were currently operating in the waterway.
The UK and France have both signaled support for a future multinational defensive maritime mission in the region. The UK has pledged mine-clearing support and specialist personnel once conditions allow it, while UK sailors stationed in Gibraltar are preparing for possible deployment.
European Union leaders recently voted to broaden the bloc’s sanctions framework against Iran to include threats to freedom of navigation.
“Iran’s actions against vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz are contrary to international law,” the Council of the European Union said on May 22, citing Tehran’s violations of established rights of transit and innocent passage through international waterways.
The new sanctions include travel curbs that bar listed individuals and entities from entering or transiting through EU territories, as well as asset freezes.
Iran’s blockade has also accelerated efforts to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Officials in the United Arab Emirates recently said that a major new oil pipeline designed to provide an alternative crude shipping route was nearly 50 percent complete, a project that, when finished, would undercut Iran’s ability to use control of the maritime choke point as leverage.
Evgenia Filimianova and Guy Birchall contributed to this report.
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