During testimony before the U.S. Senate, Marco Rubio delivered a stern warning to Iran, stating that any attempt by Tehran to restrict access through the Strait of Hormuz would be met with a reciprocal response from the United States.

Rubio emphasized that if Iran were to allow only its own vessels to pass through the strategically vital waterway while blocking international shipping, the U.S. would take similar measures against Iranian maritime traffic.

“If Iran is going to shut down the straits for everybody, we are going to shut down the straits for them,” Rubio said during the hearing.

The Secretary of State noted that Iran is already suffering significant economic losses, claiming the country is losing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue every day due to ongoing regional tensions and disruptions.

“The cost to Iran every single day in lost revenue is in the hundreds of millions of dollars that they are losing in lost revenue that they’re not generating as a result of that,” Rubio stated.

Rubio also highlighted what he described as a notable shift in Tehran’s stance on nuclear negotiations. According to him, Iran has recently shown a willingness to discuss aspects of its nuclear program that it had previously refused to address.

“For the first time in my memory, Iran has agreed to negotiate aspects of their nuclear program that just a month ago, a year ago, they were refusing to even mention in their discussions,” he said.

The Secretary stressed that dealing with Iran presents unique challenges and cannot be compared to relations with more neutral nations.

“We’re not dealing with Switzerland,” Rubio remarked, underscoring the complexity of U.S.-Iran relations.

During his testimony, Rubio also reaffirmed America’s global position, pointing to the country’s economic and military strength.

“We remain the world’s sole global superpower—the most powerful country on earth. We have the largest economy, we have the most formidable and powerful military ever known to man. Our dollar remains the reserve currency of the world, and our language is used extensively throughout the world. But all of this means very little if that power is not used to protect the people who built it.”

The comments come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and ongoing concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor through which a significant portion of the world’s oil shipments pass. Iran has repeatedly threatened to disrupt traffic through the strait during periods of escalating conflict with the United States and its allies.