Secretary Rubio Warns Iran Is Leveraging Hormuz Strait, Urges Global Partners to Act
- ‘It’s clear that Iran, at least some people in Iran, want to control the straits and hold that as leverage against the world’
- A fragile truce between Iran and the US broke down after reported attacks by Iran on ships in the Strait of Hormuz
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, United States: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that Iran is using the Strait of Hormuz as leverage in the ongoing Middle East conflict, adding that other countries need to increase pressure to safeguard global shipping. “It’s clear that Iran, at least some people in Iran, want to control the straits and hold that as leverage against the world,” Rubio told reporters ahead of traveling to the Philippines for a meeting of foreign ministers with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). “The United States will do and continue to do what it needs to protect global shipping, but other countries must begin to step up and provide—whether it’s hardware or financing—to help carry that burden,” he continued. When asked whether a diplomatic off‑ramp remains possible amid the escalating tension, Rubio replied: “We are always open to diplomacy, provided it is genuine and results in an agreement they are willing to honor.” A fragile truce between Iran and the United States collapsed after reported Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway through which roughly one‑fifth of global oil and gas normally flows. “They cannot maintain a viable memorandum of understanding while violating its terms,” Rubio said. “What I will say is that the United States remains open to a diplomatic solution. We have pursued multiple avenues with Iran and will continue to do so.”