Rubio Says Hormuz Will Be Open One Way or the Other, Expresses Cautious Confidence in Iran Deal

State Secretary Marco Rubio speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on May 5, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch TimesU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open “one way or the other,” after U.S. forces carried out what Washington described as defensive strikes in southern Iran, with Rubio also expressing guarded confidence that negotiations with Tehran would ultimately produce an agreement.“The straits have to be open, they’re going to be open one way or the other, so they need to be open,” Rubio told reporters aboard his plane in Jaipur, India, when asked about the strategic waterway following Monday’s U.S. strikes on Iranian boats and missile launch sites.