Rubio says US will keep Strait of Hormuz open
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States will ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open and warned NATO may need to be re-examined after some allies denied airspace and basing access.
“The Strait of Hormuz will be open. When this operation is over, it will be open, and it’ll be open one way or another,” Rubio said in an interview with Al Jazeera.
“It will be open because Iran agrees to abide by international law... Or a coalition of nations... will make sure that it’s open. One way or the other, it’s going to be open,” he added.
Rubio said US objectives include weakening Iran’s military capabilities, including its air force, navy and missile systems, and reducing its ability to produce drones and weapons.
He also criticized NATO allies over restrictions on US operations, saying, “We have countries like Spain... denying us the use of their airspace and bragging about it.”
“If NATO is just about us defending Europe... but them denying us basing rights when we need them, that’s not a very good arrangement,” he said, adding the alliance “is going to have to be re-examined.”
