{"id":33932,"date":"2026-05-22T21:18:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T16:18:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.iq\/?p=33932"},"modified":"2026-05-22T21:18:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T16:18:52","slug":"us-iran-hormuz-negotiations-nato-navigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/us-iran-hormuz-negotiations-nato-navigation\/","title":{"rendered":"Rubio says US working on Iran deal to open Strait of Hormuz as NATO calls for free navigation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that Washington is working toward an agreement with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and ensure Tehran abandons its nuclear ambitions. He noted signs of progress in the talks and said contingency plans exist if Iran refuses to keep the waterway open. In parallel, NATO Secretary General emphasized the need to guarantee freedom of navigation in the strategic strait.<\/p>\n<p>The statements underscore growing international focus on maritime security in the Gulf.<\/p>\n<h2>US seeking deal to open Strait of Hormuz<\/h2>\n<p>Rubio told reporters: \u201cWe are working to reach an agreement with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and for it to give up its nuclear program.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said ensuring freedom of navigation and preventing threats to international shipping are top US priorities.<\/p>\n<p>The Strait of Hormuz is a critical artery for global energy supplies.<\/p>\n<h3>Core elements under discussion<\/h3>\n<p>A potential agreement could include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to all shipping<\/li>\n<li>Limits on Iran\u2019s nuclear program<\/li>\n<li>Security guarantees<\/li>\n<li>De-escalation measures<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Contingency plan if Iran refuses<\/h2>\n<p>Rubio added: \u201cWe must have an alternative plan if Iran refuses to open the Strait of Hormuz.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While he did not detail the plan, he signaled Washington\u2019s readiness to act if diplomacy fails.<\/p>\n<p>He reiterated that imposing transit fees in the strait would make a diplomatic deal impossible.<\/p>\n<h3>US position on transit fees<\/h3>\n<p>Washington maintains that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Charging transit fees would be unacceptable<\/li>\n<li>Freedom of navigation is protected by international law<\/li>\n<li>Any such move would undermine negotiations<\/li>\n<li>Global trade cannot be subjected to coercion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Signs of progress in negotiations<\/h2>\n<p>Rubio confirmed \u201csome progress\u201d in ongoing talks with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>He said the United States is doing everything possible to secure a good agreement, which remains President Donald Trump\u2019s preferred option.<\/p>\n<p>Direct contacts and third-party mediation are continuing.<\/p>\n<h3>Role of Pakistan and other partners<\/h3>\n<p>Rubio noted coordination with several countries and identified Pakistan as a key mediator.<\/p>\n<p>He said the US does not require assistance but would accept constructive help.<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan has been involved in relaying proposals between the parties.<\/p>\n<h2>NATO stresses need to keep Hormuz open<\/h2>\n<p>NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said it is essential to ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open to navigation.<\/p>\n<p>He stated that foreign ministers agreed on the importance of safeguarding maritime freedom and providing support where necessary.<\/p>\n<p>Rutte warned that attacks on navigation affect all countries.<\/p>\n<h3>NATO\u2019s broader security stance<\/h3>\n<p>The alliance:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Supports freedom of navigation<\/li>\n<li>Coordinates with regional partners<\/li>\n<li>Maintains unity against threats<\/li>\n<li>Is increasing defense spending and capacity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Strategic importance of the Strait<\/h2>\n<p>The Strait of Hormuz carries a significant share of the world\u2019s seaborne oil and gas shipments.<\/p>\n<p>Any disruption could drive up energy prices, strain supply chains, and impact global markets.<\/p>\n<p>Ensuring its openness remains a priority for energy-importing nations.<\/p>\n<h3>Economic implications<\/h3>\n<p>A closure or restriction could lead to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Higher oil prices<\/li>\n<li>Increased shipping insurance costs<\/li>\n<li>Volatility in global markets<\/li>\n<li>Broader geopolitical tensions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conclusion:<\/h2>\n<p>Rubio\u2019s remarks about working toward an Iran deal to open the Strait of Hormuz reflect Washington\u2019s focus on maritime security and nuclear constraints. While some progress is reported, contingency planning remains in place. NATO\u2019s call to guarantee navigation underscores the strait\u2019s global importance. The outcome of negotiations will be pivotal in determining regional stability and the uninterrupted flow of international trade.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that Washington is working toward an agreement with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and ensure Tehran abandons its nuclear ambitions. He noted signs of progress in the talks and said contingency plans exist if Iran refuses to keep the waterway open. In parallel, NATO Secretary [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33933,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"","format":"standard","override":[{"template":"7","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"left-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"topbottom","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","show_comment_section":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_post_related":"0","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"jnews_post_split":{"post_split":[{"template":"1","tag":"h2","numbering":"asc","mode":"normal","first":"0","enable_toc":"0","toc_type":"normal"}]},"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33932"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33932\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33935,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33932\/revisions\/33935"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iq\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}