‘One Way Or The Other’: Marco Rubio Says Strait Of Hormuz Has To Be Open

Last Updated:May 26, 2026, 12:17 IST

Marco Rubio said that no country, including Russia and China, support Iran’s idea of charging ships money to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Strait of Hormuz: US State Secretary Marco Rubio on Tuesday said that the Strait of Hormuz “has to be open one way or the other" following US’s “self-defence" strikes against military targets in southern Iran while negotiations to end the West Asia war are underway in Qatar.

While speaking to reporters aboard his plane in Jaipur, Rubio said that any disruption or toll system imposed in the key shipping route would be “unlawful, illegal, unsustainable and unacceptable."

“The strait needs to be open without tolls. What is happening there is unlawful, illegal, unsustainable and unacceptable. No country in the world is acceptable of a tolling system except Iran," he said as quoted by news agency ANI.

He said no country, including Russia and China, support Iran’s idea of charging ships money to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

“I don’t know of any country in the world that does it. 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 the regime in Iran. So that’s not acceptable, that cannot happen," he added.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes, and concerns over possible restrictions have sparked fears of wider economic and geopolitical instability.

The US diplomat’s remarks came after US forces conducted “self-defence" strikes against military targets in southern Iran.

CENTCOM spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins told Fox that the precision strikes directly targeted missile launch sites and Iranian vessels that were actively attempting to emplace naval mines. According to Captain Hawkins, the operation was executed to protect American troops from imminent threats posed by Iranian forces.

Meanwhile, a high-level Iranian delegation, including Tehran’s top negotiator and central bank chief, was in Doha to discuss an agreement with the US and the release of frozen funds. Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Doha for talks on ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

(With inputs from agencies)

News world ‘One Way Or The Other’: Marco Rubio Says Strait Of Hormuz Has To Be Open

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