US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters in Sweden on Friday, after holding meetings with NATO allies, said Washington and its partners must prepare a “Plan B” should Iran refuse to reopen the Strait of Hormuz corridor, which is currently one of the core issues in the ongoing Iran war.
Rubio said he had discussed the issue with foreign ministers from the bloc’s member states, and received strong backing for contingency planning if Tehran continues to block access to the vital waterway.
“We all would love to see an agreement with Iran in which the straits are open and they abandon their nuclear ambitions,” Rubio said.
“But we also have to have a Plan B. What if Iran refuses to open the straits? What if Iran decides, ‘We refuse to open the straits, we’re going to own the straits, and we’re going to charge tolls for it?’ Okay, at that point, something has to be done about it.”
Rubio stressed that any alternative strategy would not necessarily involve the transatlantic bloc as a formal alliance operation, but would rather consist of nations with direct commercial and energy interests tied to Hormuz.
He added that those nations “have to start thinking” about how to respond if the Islamic Republic continues to abide by its current hardline stance, and maintains control over shipping traffic through the passage.
He reiterated, however, the Trump administration’s stance that Washington doesn’t need help reopening the strait or clearing it of sea mines, but said the administration would welcome allies’ help.
“We don’t need their help, but they’re willing to do it,” Rubio said.
Rubio’s comments come as European allies, led by the UK and France, begin discussing the formation of a maritime security coalition aimed at protecting commercial shipping through Hormuz.
However, European officials have indicated that any military escort or naval protection operations would likely begin only after active hostilities linked to the Iran war come to an end.
