Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the world that it may take more than “strongly worded statements” as Iran continues to assert what it describes as a right to control the Strait of Hormuz, an international waterway, while many countries have largely stood by as it restricts freedom of navigation.
He told reporters that allowing Iran to maintain control over the strait could set a precedent for other countries to attempt similar actions, warning that if the international community is not willing to take a firm stance now, it should expect further challenges to international maritime norms and laws in the future.
🚨 JUST NOW: Sec. Marco Rubio drops a massive warning to the WHOLE WORLD
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 8, 2026
"You better have more than strongly worded STATEMENTS!"
"Are you gonna normalize a country claiming to control an international water? Then that precedent will be repeated a DOZEN OTHER PLACES."
"Iran… pic.twitter.com/Tn0qhDJucy
"Here's a more fundamental problem. Iran now claims that they own, that they have a right to control an international waterway. They claim that they have a right to control it. What is the world going to do about that?" Rubio asked. "Is the world going to accept that Iran now controls an international waterway? Because if the world is prepared to accept that, then be ready because there's like ten other countries that are going to start doing the same thing in their international waterways or in international waterways near their countries. That's an unacceptable thing that they're trying to normalize."
"So if the answer is no we don't think Iran should be able to control the Straits of Hormuz, then the next question is going to be for everyone, well what are you going to do about it? What is the world prepared to do about it?" he continued. "And we're trying to do something about it diplomatically. We have a resolution at the United Nations that we're trying to move forward in which the world and the UN will have an opportunity through the Security Council to vote and say we are not going to allow them to mine the Straits, we're not going to allow them to try to control the Straits, and by the way you have a bunch of humanitarian aid that's trapped inside the Persian Gulf and needs to be released and has not been able to move. We're going to give the world a chance to pronounce itself on it, and if Russia or China or some other country decide to veto it then you know what the impediment is."
"If you normalize (a country claiming to control of an international waterway), you've set a precedent that's going to get repeated in a dozen other places, and if the answer is no, we don't want to normalize it, then you better have something more than just strongly worded statements to back it up," the Secretary of State said.
