Marco Rubio says Iran lost total control of Strait of Hormuz as Gulf oil exports recover

Maritime transit and naval escorts

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared during an official visit to Athens on 7 October 2026 that Iran has lost total control over the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway serves as a critical maritime corridor that transported one-fifth of global hydrocarbon supplies prior to the outbreak of the war. Tehran claimed direct control over the passage following the start of hostilities in late February, when US and Israeli strikes targeted Iran. Commercial vessels navigating through the passage still face regular attacks, as Iranian authorities demand that all ships obtain official transit permission or risk being targeted. In response to these maritime threats, an expanding number of commercial oil tankers have been making the voyage out of the Persian Gulf under armed US naval escort. Regional monarchies have utilized these protected convoys to steadily scale up their crude deliveries. According to tracking data compiled by the market intelligence platform Kpler, crude oil exports from Gulf states returned to their pre-conflict baseline by late September.

Bilateral conference and military assessments

Rubio outlined the operational situation during a joint press conference held in Athens alongside Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis. The secretary of state argued that the restoration of commercial tanker traffic through the narrow maritime chokepoint demonstrates that Iranian armed forces can no longer close or dictate movement in the waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz is open. Right now, the flow of oil is almost as high as it was before this conflict began. So they have lost total control over the strait.

Rubio stated that Iranian military forces are now far less powerful than they were before the campaign launched in late February. He noted that Tehran had spent years attempting to construct a massive conventional military apparatus intended to make the country untouchable to foreign intervention.

Economic sanctions and regional proxy funding

The secretary of state evaluated the internal financial condition of the Islamic Republic, describing the national economy as being in a total and complete free fall. Washington has intensified economic pressure and trade restrictions against Tehran, which Rubio characterized as devastating in their operational scope. He stated that the measures are pushing Iran into an economic crisis of a magnitude that very few countries in the world have ever experienced, warning that the financial fallout is on track to become catastrophic. Rubio asserted that financial resources obtained by radical Shia clerics in the government are not directed toward domestic needs, stating that every dollar received is spent on supporting Hezbollah and Hamas.

Conditions for nuclear diplomacy

Rubio established explicit conditions for any prospective negotiations or diplomatic compacts involving the United States and Tehran. He maintained that preventing Iranian nuclear armament remains an absolute requirement for the administration, rejecting any ambiguity regarding weapons development.

Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon; simple, period, discussion over.

Rubio emphasized that any diplomatic agreement acceptable to the United States must provide an ironclad guarantee that Iran will never possess a nuclear weapon, ruling out any arrangement that permits Tehran to acquire atomic armaments.