U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday (May 26) that the Strait of Hormuz has to be open, "one way or the other," when referring to U.S. strikes on Iran on Monday (May 25).

"The straits have to be open, they're going to be open one way or the other, so they need to be open," Rubio told reporters on his plane during a flight from Jaipur to New Delhi.

Speaking during the final leg of his four-day visit to India, Rubio was returning to the capital after departing the northern city of Jaipur, where he visited historic landmarks alongside his wife, Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio.

He said the negotiating language of a potential deal with Iran could "take a few days."

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Rubio says Strait of Hormuz has to be open 'one way or the other'

VIDEO SHOWS: SOUNDBITES BY U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO / RUBIO ARRIVING IN NEW DELHI

RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT

SHOWS: IN AIR (MAY 26, 2026) (U.S. NETWORK POOL - No use USA)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, MARCO RUBIO, SAYING:

“Well the straits have to be open. They're going to be open one way or the other. So they need to be open. What’s happening there is unlawful, it's illegal, it's unsustainable for the world, it's unacceptable. I don't know of any country in the world that does it. The Russians are not in favor of the tolling system. The Chinese are not in favor of the tolling system. And there's no country in the world that's in favor of a tolling system, except the regime in Iran. So that's not acceptable. That cannot happen. The straits need to be open, unimpeded, without tolls. And, obviously that needs to happen immediately. As soon as they agree to it.”

2. WHITE FLASH

3. SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, MARCO RUBIO, SAYING:

“Well, look, I think our position is well stated. The president had a very important, I think, historic call just a couple of days ago with a number of leaders from the region. I think there's strong alignment and agreement on what a preliminary draft should look like. I think like anything with something like this, and it's going to take a couple of days, to settle on even down to the disagreements over a word, sentence. So we'll have to work through that. If there's going to be a deal we're going to have to work through that. But this is, you know, it's either going to be a good deal or there isn't going to be one.”

NEW DELHI, INDIA (MAY 26, 2026) (U.S. NETWORK POOL – No use USA)

4. U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO STEPPING OUT OF AIRPLANE / RUBIO WALKING DOWN STAIRS / RUBIO GREETING OFFICIALS / RUBIO BOARDING MOTORCADE