Rubio: Strait of Hormuz Will Reopen 'One Way or Another'
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- Marco Rubio told Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview that the Strait of Hormuz 'will reopen one way or another' after the war, either through Iran's compliance with international law or a US-led coalition, and threatened 'real consequences' if Iran re-closes it.
- Rubio claimed President Trump 'always prefers diplomacy' and said there are 'messages and some direct talks' between the US and Iran through intermediaries, though Iran has denied ongoing talks and Pakistan offered to host direct negotiations.
- Rubio indicated continued US preference for regime change, saying Washington would welcome Iran 'led by people that had a different view of the future,' while acknowledging uncertainty about whether Mojtaba Khamenei is still in power after his father's killing.
- Rubio demanded Iran end its nuclear and drone/missile programs, rejected Iran's claim of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and said the war's goals of destroying Iran's air force, navy, and missile launchers are largely achieved or underway.
- Rubio said the campaign to destroy Iran's missile and drone factories will take 'a matter of weeks, not months,' even as Trump told the Financial Times he hopes to 'take the oil in Iran' and threatened to 'blow up' Iran's desalination plants.
- At least 1,937 people have been killed in Iran, 20 in Israel, 26 across the Gulf states, and 13 US soldiers since the war began February 28 with US-Israeli strikes.
Why it matters: The US is publicly demanding Iran end nuclear/missile programs, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and accept regime change — goals Tehran has rejected while offering counter-demands for reparations. With 1,937 killed in Iran and Rubio framing the war as lasting only weeks, the gap between claimed military success and an undefined political endgame could dictate whether diplomacy or continued force reopens the chokepoint.
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