Rubio says NATO preparing 'Plan B'

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on May 22 that the United States and allied countries need a “Plan B” if Iran refuses to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio made the remarks to reporters after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, where the alliance was preparing for a leaders’ summit in Ankara in July. His comments came as Washington said there had been some progress in talks with Iran, but not enough to resolve disputes over the waterway and Tehran’s nuclear program. Rubio said there was no announcement of a new operation, but he described allied support for contingency planning if diplomacy fails. ### What exactly did Rubio say in Sweden? Marco Rubio said, “We all would love to see an agreement with Iran in which the straits are open,” according to remarks published by the State Department and carried by other outlets. He added: “But we also have to have a Plan B,” and said the question was what happens if Iran refuses to reopen the strait and tries to control passage through it. Rubio said that, in that case, “something has to be done about it.” (yahoo.com) The May 22 remarks were delivered after NATO foreign ministers met in Helsingborg at the Clarion Hotel Sea U. NATO’s official event page shows the ministers’ meeting ran on May 21 and May 22, with Rubio appearing alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the second day. ### Did Rubio say this was a NATO mission? (yahoo.com) Rubio said on May 22 that he had raised the issue with allies and received what he called broad backing, but he stopped short of saying NATO itself was preparing a formal operation. “I don’t know if that would be a NATO mission necessarily, but it would certainly be NATO countries that can contribute to it,” he said. (nato.int) The same remarks said an international coalition led by France and the United Kingdom was already preparing a possible naval mission to help ensure safe transit through Hormuz if a deal to end the war is reached. Rubio framed the unresolved issue as what countries would do if ships were still being attacked and the strait had to be reopened by force or escort operations. (yahoo.com) ### How does this fit with the Iran talks? Rubio said on May 22 that the United States had seen “some progress” in talks with Iran but added, “We’re not there yet.” He said Washington was in constant communication with Pakistani mediators and that President Donald Trump preferred a negotiated outcome, while keeping other options available if diplomacy failed. (yahoo.com) Reuters-based coverage published on May 22 said the core sticking points remained Iran’s ability to have a nuclear weapon, future uranium enrichment, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. France 24 also reported that Pakistan’s army chief arrived in Tehran on May 22 as part of mediation efforts between Iran and Washington. ### Why is the Strait of Hormuz at the center of this? (jpost.com) The Strait of Hormuz is the shipping route Rubio was discussing when he warned about a fallback plan. In his remarks, he referred to the possibility that Iran could refuse to reopen the strait and could try to “charge tolls” for passage. Reuters-based and other reports tied his comments to rising energy prices and to the route’s role in moving oil and gas shipments. (jpost.com) UPI reported on May 22 that Rubio also signaled opposition to any Iranian tolling arrangement for commercial shipping. That reporting matched Rubio’s own description of the scenario he said allies needed to plan for. ### What comes next after Rubio’s “Plan B” comment? NATO’s published schedule shows the Helsingborg meeting was one of the last senior-level gatherings before the alliance leaders’ summit in Ankara in July. (yahoo.com) Rubio said on May 22 that there was no announcement yet on a Hormuz response, and he gave no timetable for any decision. (upi.com) The next concrete markers are the continued Iran mediation contacts involving Pakistan and other intermediaries, and the July NATO summit in Ankara, where allied force posture and burden-sharing are already on the formal agenda. (france24.com) (nato.int)