Video: U.S., NATO urged to prepare “plan B” if Iran keeps Strait of Hormuz closed —Rubio
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Abdullateef Fowewe
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that NATO allies are beginning to prepare worst‑case contingency plans should Iran continue to restrict traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that handles about one‑fifth of global oil trade.
“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. We also have to have a plan B,” Rubio said, stressing that diplomacy remains the preferred route.
He added a scenario to explain the urgency, “We have to start thinking about what do we do if, a few weeks from now, Iran decides ‘We don’t care, we’re going to keep the Straits 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.”
Rubio’s remarks come amid recurring disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz tied to Tehran’s use of blockades, naval mining, and a permit system that have reduced traffic and produced measurable economic fallout while peace talks remain stalled.
He emphasised that allies prefer a negotiated resolution including assurances of free passage and Iran abandoning its nuclear ambitions but must plan for the possibility that negotiations fail.
