Marco Rubio warns Strait of Hormuz will be ‘open one way or the other’ amid Iran talks

WASHINGTON, DC: Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered one of the clearest signals yet about where the Trump administration stands on Iran negotiations, insisting the Strait of Hormuz “needs to be open” as discussions over a possible agreement continue behind closed doors.

Speaking about the ongoing talks, Rubio stressed that the United States would not accept any arrangement allowing Iran to control or restrict access through the vital shipping route, which has become a major sticking point in the broader negotiations.

The comments came days after President Donald Trump suggested a potential agreement with Iran was beginning to take shape, though officials have repeatedly cautioned that several details are still unresolved.

Marco Rubio calls Iran's toll system in Hormuz ‘unacceptable’

Rubio strongly pushed back against reports that Iran could seek control over shipping access through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a future agreement.

“They’re going to be open one way or the other. The strait needs to be open without tolls. What’s happening there is unlawful, it’s illegal, it’s unsustainable for the world, it’s unacceptable,” the secretary of state said.

Rubio added that even countries often at odds with the US were not backing Iran’s reported position.

“The Russians are not in favor of a tolling system, the Chinese are not in favor of a tolling system. I mean, there’s no country in the world that’s in favor of a tolling system, except for the regime in Iran,” he stressed. “So that’s not acceptable, that cannot happen.”

Marco Rubio says 'there’s strong alignment' on what preliminary draft of deal should look like

Rubio also stressed that the strait must remain “open, unimpeded” if any agreement is finalized.

“The straits need to be open, unimpeded, without tools. And obviously that needs to happen immediately as soon as anything is agreed to,” he said.

His remarks highlighted how central the Strait of Hormuz has become to the ongoing negotiations.

The waterway remains one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes, making any disruption a global concern.

Rubio’s comments also gave a glimpse into how negotiations are progressing behind the scenes.

According to the secretary of state, Trump recently spoke with several regional leaders as part of efforts to move discussions forward.

“The president had a very important, I think, historic call just a couple days ago with a number of leaders from the region,” Rubio shared. “I think there’s strong alignment and agreement on what a preliminary draft should look like.”

Marco Rubio says Iran deal still faces hurdles despite Trump’s optimism

Rubio made clear that negotiations remain delicate and unfinished despite the optimism coming from the White House.

“I think 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 or sentence,” he explained. “So we’ll have to work through that.”

The administration’s messaging has slightly shifted over the past few days.

Trump earlier suggested that an agreement had been “largely negotiated,” though officials later clarified that talks were still ongoing and negotiators were being careful not to rush the process.

Rubio echoed that more cautious tone during his remarks.

“If there’s going to be a deal, we’re going to have to work through that,” he said. “But this is, you know, it’s either going to be a good deal, or there isn’t going to be one.”