By Camilo Diniz
At the close of a G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on the group's members to protect the maritime routes and supply chains that sustain world trade. Rubio made the point in a message published on X on Saturday, October 31, 2026, saying he had told G20 partners that secure supply chains are essential to economic growth. The focus of his remarks was the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which he said must remain safe and open to global commerce.
Rubio's call in Atlanta
The G20 is a forum of major economies, and its foreign ministers used the Atlanta meeting to discuss global issues. According to Rubio, the United States pushed the group to treat the security of shipping lanes as a priority. The US also tried to put infrastructure and maritime routes on the meeting's agenda.
Critical minerals enter the dispute
Rubio's remarks went beyond navigation. He argued that G20 countries should expand and strengthen supply chains for critical minerals, which he described as key to the planet's economic future. In practice, the message targets the competition over raw materials that feed technology and industry.
Divisions inside the G20
The US push came at a time of geopolitical differences among the bloc's members, which makes reaching a consensus harder. Whether the G20 can agree on a common response remains an open question.
Background: the Gulf crisis
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that links the Persian Gulf to the open sea, has been at the center of a series of recent episodes. Related reports mention a tanker hit by a projectile in the region, according to the United Kingdom, and efforts by Pakistan to help reopen the strait and reduce the crisis between the United States and Iran. Reports also mention an agreement on the strait between Iran and Oman that an Iranian agency said was close.
What happens next depends on how far the G20 is willing to back the American position. If the bloc cannot agree on a common response, pressure on Gulf shipping routes is likely to remain at the center of international affairs, with direct effects on trade and energy prices.
