United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Face the Nation that Iran’s threatened closure of the Strait of Hormuz would be “a suicidal move,” saying such an action would provoke global backlash and severely damage economies across the world. “The first people that should be angry about it are the Chinese government,” Rubio said, noting that China relies heavily on oil shipments through the strait. “They’re gonna pay a huge price, and every other country in the world is gonna pay a huge price.”

While he avoided laying out specific U.S. military options, Rubio stressed that the United States would defend its interests and described Iran’s growing alignment with Russia as part of a broader concern. “They’re not even going to be in the neighborhood of a nuclear weapon,” he said, calling for a diplomatic agreement that limits Iran to a civil nuclear program with no access to weapons grade materials.

Rubio’s remarks come at a moment of heightened tension across the region. Iran’s parliament has already voted to endorse the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to recent U.S. airstrikes, but the final decision lies with the country’s Supreme National Security Council. The narrow waterway serves as a critical artery for global oil shipments, and any disruption could send energy markets into turmoil. While analysts see a full closure as unlikely, the threat alone has already rattled international partners. As Rubio pointed out, the economic consequences would not be limited to the U.S., but would ripple across Asia and Europe as well, placing pressure not just on Tehran, but on global powers like China and Russia to intervene diplomatically.