Rubio rejects Iran’s extortion plan on Strait of Hormuz

By emmitt barryWorthy News Washington DC Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a clear message to Iran on Monday: The United States will not accept any arrangement in which Tehran acts as the gatekeeper of the Strait of Hormuz – demanding coordination, permission or payment from ships wishing to pass through the open waters, as required by international law.

Speaking on Fox News, Rubio exposed the true nature of Iran’s so-called “offer” to reopen the straits: “What they mean by opening the straits is that, yes, the straits are open – as long as you coordinate with Iran, get our permission, or we’ll blow you up, and you’ll pay us.”

“It’s not opening the filibuster,” Rubio said bluntly. “They are international waterways. They cannot be normalized, nor can we tolerate trying to normalize them, a system in which the Iranians decide who gets to use them.”

The tough stance comes after Axios reported that Iran has struck a deal to reopen the strait and end the ongoing conflict – while nuclear talks have conveniently been pushed to a later, undefined stage. The White House confirmed that discussions were ongoing but made it clear that it was far from acceptable.

White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt told reporters on Monday that President Trump had reviewed the Iranian proposal with his national security team — but made no concessions. “I wouldn’t say they were considering it,” Levitt said. “I would say there has been discussion.”

Iran sets up stalls, poses and plays games

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that Tehran is in no hurry for talks. Araghchi traveled to Russia on Monday, meeting with President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, where he claimed that Iran had “clearly seen” a “stable, solid and powerful system” despite ongoing US and Israeli military pressure since late February. Putin, for his part, promised to continue the strategic partnership with Tehran.

Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament is reportedly pushing legislation that would formalize military control over the strait – and require oil revenues passing through it to be collected in Iranian rials. Fewer than 10 ships transited the strait on Sunday, a tiny fraction of the 140 ships passing daily before the start of hostilities.

Economic pain extends globally

Oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel again on Monday, reflecting market concern over continued disruption. European governments are feeling the strain – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced an emergency economic committee meeting on Tuesday with representatives from the Bank of England to assess the ongoing damage.

Germany’s Merz said the conflict was coming at a huge cost to European taxpayers and compared US involvement to previous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He revealed that European countries had offered minesweepers to help clear the partially mined strait – although no timeline has been set for deployment.

President Trump has sharply criticized NATO allies for not contributing naval assets to help restore commerce through the strategic waterway.

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