US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 22 May issued coordinated warnings to Iran, declaring that Tehran would not be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons and that any attempt to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz would be unacceptable. The remarks came as negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme continued and tensions in the Gulf remained elevated.

Hormuz Toll Warning and UN Resolution

Rubio, speaking to reporters at Miami Homestead Airport before departing for India, drew a hard line on the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly one-fifth of global oil shipments pass. 'We've always said a tolling system in the strait would be unacceptable,' Rubio said.

He said Washington was backing a United Nations Security Council resolution sponsored by Bahrain opposing any such move, describing it as having 'the highest number of co-sponsors in the history of the Security Council.' Rubio added that China also opposed the proposal. 'No one in the world is in favor of a tolling system. It can't happen; it would be unacceptable,' he said, warning that pursuing it 'would make a diplomatic deal unfeasible.'

Trump's Claims on Military Control

At the White House later the same day, Trump asserted that the United States had 'total control of the Strait of Hormuz' through its naval operations. 'There hasn't been a ship that's been able to get through without our approval,' he said. 'It's like a steel wall.'

Trump also claimed Iran's military infrastructure had suffered severe damage, saying, 'We wiped out their navy. We wiped out their air,' and adding that Iran had lost most of its missile capability. These claims could not be independently verified.

Nuclear Red Line and Diplomatic Track

Trump repeatedly stressed that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon was his administration's highest foreign policy priority. 'We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon,' he said. 'You will have a nuclear war in the Middle East, and that war will come here, that war will go to Europe.'

While leaving the door open to negotiations, Trump warned that military options remained on the table. 'We're going to either make sure they don't have a nuclear weapon or we're going to have to do something very drastic,' he said. He also ruled out any deal that allowed Iran to retain enriched uranium. 'No, no we get the highly enriched. We will get it,' Trump said. 'We'll probably destroy it after we get it, but we're not going to let them have it.'

Rubio, for his part, signalled cautious optimism about diplomacy. 'The President's preference is always a deal,' Rubio said. 'His preference is always an agreement. His preference is always diplomacy.' He nonetheless tempered expectations: 'I'm not here to tell you that it's going to happen for sure. But I'm here to tell you that we're going to do everything we can to see if we can get one.'

India Angle: Energy Security and Quad

India featured in Rubio's pre-departure remarks as well. When asked what the United States could do for India amid energy security concerns linked to Hormuz tensions, Rubio said, 'We want to sell them as much energy as they'll buy,' describing India as 'a great ally, a great partner.' He said energy cooperation would be part of his agenda in India, alongside discussions tied to the Quad grouping.

This is directly relevant for India, which depends heavily on Gulf crude imports and would face immediate consequences from any disruption to Hormuz shipping lanes. With Rubio heading to New Delhi, the Iran standoff and energy supply security are set to be central to bilateral talks.

What Comes Next

Negotiations between Washington and Tehran over the nuclear programme are reportedly ongoing, though no timeline for a deal has been indicated. The breadth of international opposition to a Hormuz tolling system — including from China — suggests that particular Iranian proposal is unlikely to advance. Whether the nuclear talks yield an agreement before Trump's stated military deadline remains the central question hanging over the Gulf.