Murphy to Rubio: How Are You Going to Reopen the Strait, Bring Down Food and Gas Prices for Americans

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Tuesday questioned U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. As families face a fourth month of rising prices for gas and basic goods due to the Iran war, Murphy demanded Rubio provide clarity on the Trump administration's plan to open the Strait of Hormuz and restabilize the global economy. Murphy also pressed Rubio on whether the Trump administration was entertaining offering Iran sanctions relief in exchange for re-opening the Strait of Hormuz.

With Iran negotiations deadlocked, Murphy called out the Trump administration's flailing, mixed messages and the president's open disinterest in making a deal: "It has been indecipherable, the information coming from the administration, especially in the past several weeks, as we get signals that a deal is imminent. The president said yesterday he's bored by the negotiations. He doesn't care whether we get a deal… What is going to get the strait reopened? Because this is kind of the only question that matters for American consumers right now, and every day we get wildly different signals from the president as to whether he even is engaged in this question as to whether the strait is going to reopen."

Murphy slammed the Trump administration for escalating hostilities with Iran to an unprecedented level, pushing the US and world economy into crisis in the process: "Despite the differences that existed between Republicans and Democrats prior to this administration on how to approach Iran's nuclear program, the theory was basically the same, that we were going to impose significant harm on the Iranian economy in order to force them to the table to negotiate. What is happening now is fundamentally different. This war and the administration's decision to blockade, has now held the entire world economy and the US economy hostage…"

Murphy secured a firm commitment from Rubio that Iran would not receive sanctions relief simply for re-opening the Strait of Hormuz:

Murphy: So you will not give them sanctions relief just in exchange for reopening the strait?

Rubio: No - that's not been discussed, that's not been offered.

A full transcript of Murphy and Rubio's exchange is below.

Murphy: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for being with us today. Despite the differences that existed between Republicans and Democrats prior to this administration on how to approach Iran's nuclear program, the theory was basically the same, that we were going to impose significant harm on the Iranian economy in order to force them to the table to negotiate.

What is happening now is fundamentally different. This war and the administration's decision to blockade, has now held the entire world economy and the US economy hostage to the ability to negotiate an agreement with Iran. This is why the entire country is seized by the question of when there will be an agreement, because apparently until there is an agreement, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. There is a cost to the Iranian economy, but now there is a devastating cost to the US economy. It has been indecipherable, the information coming from the administration, especially in the past several weeks, as we get signals that a deal is imminent. The President said yesterday he's bored by the negotiations. He doesn't care whether we get a deal. I think it's really important for us to understand what your bottom lines are, what you're asking for in this negotiation, what commitments you need Iran to make in order for you to release the blockade, and we hope for them to release the blockade as well.

So give us a little insight into what your bottom lines are. What is going to get the strait reopened? Because this is kind of the only question that matters for American consumers right now, and every day we get wildly different signals from the president as to whether he even is engaged in this question as to whether the strait is going to reopen.

Rubio: Yeah, I think your question gets right to the heart of the matter. So, I think that's a good question. Let me first bifurcate some things. The only reason there's a blockade, the only reason why there's a US blockade, is because Iran has closed the strait, they're firing on commercial ships, and they've mined large segments of Hormuz, international waters, and so the blockade is only against Iranian ships, and it's very simple. The notion is, if no one's ships are going to get out, then Iran's ships aren't going to get out either. Is that we can't live in a world in which they get to close the straits and tell everybody, pay us a toll, or we'll blow you up, but their ships get to go out unfettered, so that's the reason why there's a blockade. There wouldn't have been a blockade if Iran had agreed to do what they said they would do when the ceasefire kicked in, which is they were going to open the straits.

So, let me just focus on the straits for a moment. Number one, what they're doing is unlawful and illegal. There isn't a country on earth, other than Iran, maybe Oman that flirted with it, who's in favor of what Iran is doing in the straits. The Chinese are against it, the Russians are against it, everyone is against it, the whole world is against it. So, condition number one is they have to reopen the straits, and reopening the straits means the following: ships can sail through international waters the way they can do through other choke points around the world without being fired upon, without paying a toll. That's condition number one.

Murphy: But the strait is closed because of our decision to invade Iran. This is a consequence of our military action. So, I guess I'm not interested in litigating that question. We all know why the strait is closed, because you took military action against Iran, and we knew ahead of time that that would be their likely response. The question is, how are we going to get it reopened? Are you going to drive a bargain that is so tough and so hard that the strait remains closed? How are we going to get it open?

Rubio: The first thing, that is a predicate to anything else happening, the straits have to be reopened. The way to think about it is this: if Iran wants to be able to move its oil again, through the straits, they will have to reopen the strait. If they refuse to do so, then we have other options available to us, but we would prefer to negotiate the opening of this-

Murphy: Tell us about the negotiations. What do you need from them in order to get the strait reopened? We need the strait reopened tomorrow.

Rubio: Well, what needs to happen is very simple. They need to announce that they will no longer fire on commercial ships that are going through or threaten to fire on ships, because in many cases ships just won't move, they won't go, not because they got fired on, but because of the risk of being fired upon, and so they have to announce very clearly the straits are now open. We're not charging a toll. We will help remove the mines that they put in there, and they will not fire on ships.

Murphy: But the president says they also need to make commitments on their nuclear program. That's what I'm asking. What commitments do they need to make in order for the strait to be re-opened?

Rubio: The second thing they have to agree to as part of this, so in addition to the straits, that's the predicate that opens the door to phase two. Phase two is they have to commit to very specific negotiations on highly enriched, disposition of the highly enriched uranium that still is buried deep in a mountain somewhere. And they have to agree on negotiating severe and long term limitations, and/or cancelation of enrichment-

Murphy: In the second phase of negotiations?

Rubio: Well, obviously these are highly technical matters, so I don't think you could work those out in five days, that would require a team of experts to meet over a 30, 60, 90 day period and work out the details. But they have to commit to their willingness to do that. For example, they have to commit to say we will dispose of the enriched uranium, and the question now is, what are the mechanisms by which we do so? That can be negotiated.

Murphy: Final question, in order to get to that second phase, are you willing to release sanctions or release frozen money that the United States is withholding from Iran?

Rubio: No. Right now, everything that's been discussed with them is that any sanctions relief - now, remember, there's international sanctions, there's congressional sanctions, there's executive sanctions, some we can release and some we cannot - but any sanctions relief is condition-based, which means it has to be in return for the reason why those sanctions were put in place in the first place, which is their nuclear program. So, yeah, look, Iran is being sanctioned because they enrich uranium. Iran is being sanctioned because they've highly enriched uranium. Iran is being sanctioned because of their nuclear activities. If they agree to give up those things, there would be sanctions relief associated with their commitment and compliance with those agreements.

Murphy: So you will not give them sanctions relief just in exchange for reopening the strait?

Rubio: No, that's not been discussed, that's not been offered.