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Middle East Tension Timeline (May 2026)
Sequence of military and diplomatic events affecting the Strait of Hormuz.
Primary Sources
Rubio says Iran has to open Strait of Hormuz 'one way or the other'
The US has targeted Iranian missile launch sites and boats around the Strait of Hormuz in what its military described as “self-defence strikes”, amid a ceasefire and ongoing discussions to end the war permanentlyUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the possibility of reaching a deal with Iran still exists despite new American strikes that cast doubt on their fragile ceasefire.“There were some talks going on in Qatar today, so we’ll see if we can make progress. I think it’s a lot of talking back and forth going on about specific language in the initial document, so it’ll take a few days,” Rubio told reporters in Jaipur during a visit to India.STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD“The president expressed his desire to make it. He’s either going to make a good deal or no deal,” he said.Talking about the situation at the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio said, “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.”More from World #WATCH | Delhi | On Strait of Hormuz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says, "The strait needs to be open without tolls. What is happening there is unlawful, illegal, unsustainable and unacceptable. No country in the world is acceptable of a tolling system except Iran."(Video… pic.twitter.com/9Hppt1Fynw— ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2026US strikes IranThe US has targeted Iranian missile launch sites and boats around the Strait of Hormuz in what its military described as “self-defence strikes”, amid a ceasefire and ongoing discussions to end the war permanently.“US forces conducted self-defence strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” CENTCOM spokesman Timothy Hawkins told CNN.He added, “Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines. US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.”STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADA senior official told Fox News that two Iranian boats were laying mines in the strait and that US forces also responded to an attack on one of its warplanes after a missile had targeted it.The US reportedly destroyed both IRGC vessels and also struck a surface-to-missile site near Iran’s Bandar Abbas. Two other sources told Fox News that the attacks do not indicate that the ceasefire with Iran is over.When will Iran reopen Hormuz?The US and Iran are discussing a plan to open th...
As US-Iran Strait Of Hormuz Talks Advance, Marco Rubio ... - Outlook India
Marco Rubio says the US and Iran are making progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while negotiations continue over Tehran’s nuclear programme and regional tensions. Summary of this articleMarco Rubio says the US and Iran have made progress in talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.Donald Trump will not rush into a deal with Iran unless it meets US conditions, Rubio says.Rubio also discussed Lebanon, Hezbollah and the upcoming Quad meeting during his India visit.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that the United States had made “significant progress” in negotiations with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while stressing that President Donald Trump would not accept a deal that failed to meet US interests.The comments came during Rubio’s four-day visit to India and amid indications that Washington and Tehran are considering an initial agreement to restore shipping through the Strait before negotiating a broader peace arrangement covering Iran’s nuclear programme. According to PTI, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has faced major disruption since joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered retaliatory attacks, despite a fragile ceasefire that came into effect on April 8.“Work is still in progress. We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today,” Rubio told a small group of reporters before leaving for Agra.“So we have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of get the Strait open, enter into a very real, significant time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matters and hopefully we can pull it off,” he said.The Strait of Hormuz is a key global shipping route through which around one-fifth of the world’s energy supplies pass under normal conditions. PTI reported that Iran’s nuclear programme and control over the Strait remain the central issues in the negotiations.Related ContentRubio said there was international backing for efforts to end the conflict in West Asia, though he acknowledged the difficulty of the talks.“Every country that we've walked through understands it's not just very reasonable, but it's the right thing for the world to get done. As the President said, he's not in a hurry; he's not going to make a bad deal,” he said.Rubio said Washington would continue to pursue diplomacy before considering other options.“The President is not going to make a bad deal. No one has been more serious about the threat of a nuclear Iran than President Trump has been.”“And so I'm very confiden...
'Hormuz will open one way or another': Rubio after fresh US strikes on ...
US Secretary of State Rubio expressed confidence in the ongoing negotiations with Iran to end the West Asia conflict despite the US strike on boats near the port of Bandar Abbas, but cautioned that negotiating language of the deal with Tehran could “take a few days”.United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares to board his plane at Jaipur International Airport in Jaipur, India, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP )Rubio said that the Strait of Hormuz has to be open, "one way or the other", when referring to US strikes on Iran on Monday."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," Rubio told reporters on his plane in India's Jaipur.Rubio said that a deal with Iran was still possible despite new American strikes that cast doubt on their fragile ceasefire."There were some talks going on in Qatar today, so we'll see if we can make progress. I think it's a lot of talking back and forth going on about specific language in the initial document, so it'll take a few days," Rubio said.The strikes came as top Iranian negotiators arrived in the Qatari capital of Doha for the latest round of talks to end the months-long conflict, which had prompted Iran to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global energy exports, sending prices soaring and the global economy into a tailspin.Fresh US strikes on IranUS forces attacked missile sites in southern Iran and boats “trying to lay mines” on Monday, US Central Command said, imperilling a fragile ceasefire that has kept the region largely peaceful since April 8."US forces conducted self-defence strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces," Tim Hawkins, a US Central Command spokesperson, said in a statement.The statement gave no details of the attacks and said only that the targets included missile launch sites and boats trying to "emplace mines."Iran's state-run broadcaster IRIB reported several loud explosions were heard in the vicinity of Bandar Abbas at around midnight local time (2030 GMT Monday).It added that the situation in the southern port city was normal and local authorities were investigating the cause of the blasts.
Marco Rubio says Strait of Hormuz has to be open 'one way or ... - CNBCTV18
HomeWorld NewsMarco Rubio says Strait of Hormuz has to be open 'one way or the other'U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz has to be open, "one way or the other", when referring to U.S strikes on Iran on Monday.By Reuters May 26, 2026, 9:49:10 AM IST (Published)4 Min Read(Photo Credit : Reuters)US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday (May 26) negotiating a deal with Iran could "take a few days," quashing hopes for an imminent end to the conflict a day after US forces conducted what Washington called defensive strikes in southern Iran. Describing the strikes against targets including boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites, Rubio said the Strait of Hormuz has to be open "one way or the other." "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 in India's Jaipur. Despite a ceasefire in place since early April, US Central Command said in a statement on Monday (May 25) it had carried out fresh strikes designed "to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces." Iran said on Monday (May 25) it had downed a "hostile" stealth drone using a new air defence system, Iranian news agencies reported, without saying where it had come from. The US attacks came as Iran's top negotiator and its foreign minister were in Doha for talks with Qatar's prime minister on a potential deal with the US to end the three-month-old war, an official briefed on the visit said. Rubio told reporters in New Delhi earlier that the US would give diplomacy every chance to succeed before considering whether to deal with Iran in "another way". He said there was a "pretty solid thing on the table," referring to talks over reopening the strait and a "very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter." In a lengthy post on Truth Social on Monday (May 25), US President Donald Trump said talks with Iran were going "nicely", but warned of fresh attacks if they failed. It "will only be a Great Deal for all, or no Deal at all," he wrote. In another indication of the region's tensions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday (May 25) Israel would intensify strikes against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Israel's military soon thereafter said it was attacking Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley and other areas. Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire in mid-April...
