Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, where senators pressed him on the war involving Iran and on when shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could resume amid broader concerns about energy prices and the global economy.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing was lawmakers’ first public chance to question Rubio since the U.S. and Israel launched military action against Iran in late February, according to an NPR report. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey criticized what they described as stalled diplomacy and warned of broader economic fallout from the disruption in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio told senators that reopening the strait was the immediate priority and linked progress on wider negotiations to Iran’s actions at sea. He said the United States would lift its blockade of Iranian ports only after Iran stops firing on commercial vessels, and he said U.S. sanctions relief would depend on Iran negotiating limits related to its nuclear program. Rubio also said U.S. officials are dealing with uncertainty inside Iran’s leadership structure. He told lawmakers that Iran’s Supreme Leader was killed early in the conflict and that the successor—described as the leader’s son—has not appeared in public, though Rubio said there are indications he is alive and communicating in writing through intermediaries. Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen criticized Rubio for not personally taking part in negotiations hosted by Pakistan earlier this year. Rubio defended his absence by saying he was “co-located” with President Donald Trump during high-stakes discussions and that the U.S. team in Pakistan was led by Vice President JD Vance, along with envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, NPR reported.
