MANILA, PHILIPPINES – JULY 22: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends the ASEAN Post Ministerial Meeting with the United States during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held at the Philippine International Conference Center in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines on July 22, 2026.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday accused Iran of not complying with the Strait of Hormuz agreement, but reiterated that the US is “fully committed to diplomacy” in the Middle East.
His comments came as U.S. Central Command struck Iranian targets for 11 consecutive nights in an effort to “continue to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Centcom announced that military operations centers, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure were damaged.
“The problem we have now is that they are not serious about talks. If they are serious, we are serious. If they are not, we will do what is necessary to protect our interests and the interests of our allies,” Rubio said at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in the Philippines.
He added that the main point of conflict between Tehran and the US is that Iran is “claiming the right” to regulate traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a right that Iran does not have under international law.
“If we set a precedent in the Middle East that states can control international waterways, charge tolls, and decide to blow up ships if they don’t pay, we have set a very dangerous precedent that will be repeated in the rest of the world, including this region,” Rubio warned.
“Of all the regions in the world, this is the region that doesn’t need to be taught the importance of freedom of navigation in international waterways,” Rubio said, apparently referring to China in a covert manner.
The U.S. Navy has conducted “freedom of navigation” operations in the past around disputed islands in the South China Sea, where several Southeast Asian countries dispute territory with China and whose “nine-dash line” claims most of the ocean as its own waters.
This is despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that China’s claims have no basis under international law. China refuses to recognize the results.
The United States and Iran signed an interim memorandum of understanding on June 17, calling for a halt to military operations, the restart of Hormuz, and a 60-day grace period to negotiate a permanent agreement with terms that cover Iran’s nuclear program. However, the document left open the future management of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran interpreted the document as acknowledging Tehran’s role in controlling traffic in the strait and the possibility of charging fees for maritime services after an initial 60-day period, but the United States insisted that the waterway must remain open without any mandatory fees or restrictions by Iran.
Iran and Oman, which also border the Strait of Hormuz, said in a joint statement on June 23 that “all arrangements related to the Strait of Hormuz must fully respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of the two littoral states of the strait.”
He said the attacks on Iran were a “consequence” of the Iranian government’s failure to keep its promises, adding: “If these consequences did not exist, we would be living in a world today where a significant proportion of the region’s energy supply, and 20% of the world’s energy supply, is held hostage by nation-states.”
