U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned NATO allies on Friday, May 22, to prepare for the worst if Iran refuses to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking at a NATO foreign ministers meeting in southern Sweden, Rubio said the alliance must start thinking through a “Plan B” in case Tehran keeps the vital waterway shut and carries out threats to sink ships or charge tolls.
“We all would love to see an agreement with Iran in which the straits are open, and they abandon their nuclear ambitions and so forth,” Rubio told reporters. “We also have to have a plan B.”
He added: “We have to start thinking about what we do if, a few weeks from now, Iran decides, ‘We don’t care, we’re going to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed. We’re going to sink any ship that doesn’t listen to us or doesn’t pay us.’ Then someone’s going to have to do something about it.”
The comments come as the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed amid the fallout from the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran.
The Vital Strait of Hormuz Remains Largely Closed
About one-fifth of the world’s oil supply goes through the narrow passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Its closure has raised global energy prices and left cargo ships stranded.
Rubio emphasized that diplomacy remains the first choice. The U.S. wants a deal that gets oil flowing again and reins in Iran’s nuclear program. But he made clear that patience is not unlimited.
Several NATO members have been reluctant to get involved in the situation in Iran. Some refused U.S. requests for basing access during the recent strikes.
Rubio has repeatedly criticized allies for not pulling their weight, noting that Europe depends far more on Middle Eastern oil than America does.
At the meeting in Helsingborg, Rubio pushed a new idea called the Maritime Freedom Construct.
It focuses on sharing intelligence and using diplomatic and economic pressure on Iran rather than direct military action. He wants more countries to join.
NATO is also dealing with the war in Ukraine and questions about future U.S. troop levels in Europe. Some allies worry Washington is shifting focus away from the continent.
Still, the Hormuz crisis affects everyone as Higher oil prices have hit economies hard.
India, Europe, and Asian nations feel the pain more than the United States, which has boosted its own domestic production.
Experts say the Strait of Hormuz’s importance cannot be overstated, as roughly 21 million barrels of oil pass through it every day in normal times.
Insurance rates for ships have skyrocketed, and many companies have simply stopped sending vessels.
Iran has floated the idea of charging tolls on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, something the U.S. and others call illegal and unacceptable. Rubio has warned that any such move would kill chances of a diplomatic deal.
“These countries have a lot at stake,” he said in earlier remarks. “Not just the G7 countries, but countries in Asia and all over the world.”
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European officials at the summit acknowledged the problem but stopped short of committing to specific actions. Private discussions focused on contingency planning without public fanfare.
Rubio maintains that the U.S. is willing to take part in a plan to secure the waterway but does not want to lead it alone.
The Trump administration’s approach to alliances has been a bit different from that of the previous governments.
Thump wants partners to share more of the burden on global issues, especially when their own energy supplies are at risk.
The administration continues indirect talks aimed at ending the standoff with Iran, even though progress has been slow.
Iran insists it will not give up its nuclear capabilities entirely, while the U.S. demands they do.
