Iran war: In a major hint at the United States considering resumption of military action against Iran, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted that Washington has a “plan B” to open the Strait of Hormuz if Iran refuses restoring navigation through critical waterway.
What is US’ ‘plan B’ to open Hormuz?
“We have to have a plan B for if someone is shooting At some point, ideally, they open the strait. “Plan B needs to be, what if Iran says, ‘No, we refuse to open the Strait?’ Rubio told reporters at the ministerial summit in Helsingborg, Sweden.
The Secretary of State also hinted at potential NATO deployment in the Persian Gulf, stating that he engaged in consultations with NATO allies regarding potential contingencies associated with restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio said international stakeholders, including the US, would be compelled to “do something about it”, though he declined to specify whether a direct NATO deployment would be appropriate.
What did Rubio say about US-Iran talks?
Asked about diplomatic efforts to end the West Asia conflict, Marco Rubio maintained his cautious stance regarding ongoing discussions, asserting that American representatives were currently engaging with “difficult” partners.
“There’s been some progress – we’re not there yet,” Rubio remarked, assessing the trajectory of the negotiations. “Hopefully that will change, but it may not.”
Notably, the Trump administration’s dual-track approach of preparing military contingencies while continuing diplomatic engagement was underscored on Thursday when Rubio indicated that Washington expected Pakistani outreach to Tehran, even as Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was already in the Iranian capital for consultations with the leadership.
Why Pakistan army chief, interior minister visited Tehran?
Rubio said he believed that “Pakistanis will be travelling to Tehran today” and signalled that although negotiations with Iran had shown encouraging movement, alternative measures remained under consideration. “I don’t want to get ahead of it … I think we’ve made some progress,” Rubio said.
On Friday, Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir travelled to Tehran amid mounting expectations of diplomatic movement between Washington and Tehran, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.
Munir’s visit came after Naqvi completed an intensive three-day diplomatic engagement in Tehran. The Pakistani interior minister had arrived earlier in the week on an unannounced visit and held meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior Iranian officials.
First published on: May 23, 2026 12:10 AM IST
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