Rubio Says Iran Killed Strait of Hormuz Agreement

Marco Rubio says Iran has torpedoed the agreement meant to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.

But Washington is not slamming the diplomatic door just yet.

The Secretary of State accused Tehran of violating a memorandum of understanding by attacking three commercial ships late last week, despite an expectation that Iran would reaffirm safe passage through one of the world’s most important energy corridors.

“I think we’re always open to diplomacy,” Rubio told reporters Sunday night at Joint Base Andrews. “It has to be real. It has to be a deal that they’re willing to live by.”

.@SecRubio on Iran: “Their behavior has to change in order for ours to change.” pic.twitter.com/yAWfpaeA5l

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 20, 2026

Rubio spoke before departing for the Philippines, where he is scheduled to attend the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting.

The Strait of Hormuz sits at the center of the increasingly dangerous showdown between the United States and Iran. The narrow waterway carries a substantial share of the world’s oil and natural gas shipments, making any sustained disruption a threat to commercial vessels, energy markets and the wider global economy.

Under the understanding described by Rubio, the strait was supposed to remain open to commercial shipping without attacks or tolls. Iran’s alleged attacks on three ships, he argued, made the agreement impossible to treat as a functioning deal.

“They’re not complying with it,” Rubio said. “The straits are supposed to be open, free of tolls, free of attack, free of all the things they’re doing against these ships. They can’t have an MOU that’s alive if they’re violating the terms of it.”

“The United States always remains open to a diplomatic solution,” Rubio said. “We’ve tried multiple times with Iran, and we’ll continue to try.”

.@SecRubio: “You can’t have an MOU that’s alive if they’re violating the terms… The U.S. always remains open to a diplomatic solution. We’ve tried multiple times with Iran and we’ll continue to try… but their behavior is what we’re responding to — and their behavior is… https://t.co/SIYaJOeAHK pic.twitter.com/qv4THvFqRg

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 20, 2026