Iran has ‘lost complete control’ of Hormuz Strait: Rubio
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claims Iran has lost control of the Strait of Hormuz due to economic sanctions. He emphasized that the U.S. will prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Why it matters
The statement signals a hardening U.S. stance on Iranian regional influence and nuclear proliferation.
Iran has "lost complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday (October 7, 2026), adding that Tehran's economy was "in total and complete freefall".
"The Straits of Hormuz are open. There's almost as much oil flowing out now as there was before this conflict began. So they've lost complete control of the Straits," Mr. Rubio told reporters during a visit to Athens.
He argued that as a result of "crippling" sanctions, the Iranian economy was "about to reach a place few countries in the world have been".
Every dollar received by the "radical Shia clerics" is spent on Hezbollah and Hamas, he said.
"Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, simple, period, end of story," Mr. Rubio said.
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