Rubio: We Will Not Accept Iran’s Control over the Strait of Hormuz

SadaNews Economy - In a new escalation of the U.S. stance towards Tehran, amid ongoing tensions and stalled negotiations related to the Iranian nuclear program, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the United States "will not accept Iran managing the Strait of Hormuz."

Rubio stated at a press conference on Friday at the conclusion of his visit to the Vatican that Iran "seeks to establish a body to monitor the Strait of Hormuz," considering this "unacceptable," referring to Iran's recent proposals regarding navigation management in the vital maritime corridor.

Threat of Response

He also vowed a direct military response to any attack targeting U.S. forces in the region, saying that U.S. forces "came under fire from Iran in international waters yesterday, Thursday, and retaliated," adding that Washington "is sinking the Iranian fast boats" that threaten navigation and U.S. forces in the Gulf.

He stressed that "any Iranian who attacks U.S. forces will not be left alive," affirming that the United States "will deal with any entity that threatens America."

The U.S. Secretary of State also clarified that the strikes carried out by the United States against Iranian targets are "separate from the epic rage operation," referring to the ongoing U.S. military operations in the region.

Additionally, he indicated that the U.S. administration is awaiting a " serious Iranian response," saying, "We hope the Iranian response will be serious," without revealing additional details regarding the nature of the expected response or the timing of any new negotiations.

Unacceptable

Rubio emphasized that "everyone agrees that Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons is unacceptable," considering that President Donald Trump "is the first president to try to do something about it."

The remarks of the U.S. Secretary of State come as Washington continues its economic and military pressures on Tehran, including the naval blockade imposed on Iranian ports and the escalation concerning freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait is one of the most important strategic energy corridors in the world, through which a significant percentage of global oil and gas exports pass, making any tension there a source of concern for international markets.

U.S. Position on Hezbollah

Regarding the Lebanese issue, Rubio confirmed that the United States "will not negotiate with Hezbollah," adding that U.S. communication is limited to the Lebanese government only. He said that "Hezbollah is the reason Lebanon suffers attacks," considering the party to be "a full Iranian proxy with no existence without Iran."

He also noted that Washington is working to "stop funding Hezbollah" as part of the ongoing pressures on the Iran-backed group. He clarified that his country "has not set a time for resuming talks between Israel and Lebanon" amid ongoing security tensions on the southern Lebanese border.

Next week is expected to witness a new round of talks between the U.S. and Israeli sides regarding ambassadors in Washington, amid U.S. pressures to reach a peace agreement between the two countries.

It is noteworthy that Iran had established what it called a body to manage navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which is concerned with granting passage permits to ships and collecting toll fees, according to what a specialized maritime transport newsletter reported, while efforts continue to reach an agreement to end the war between Washington and Tehran. Iranian officials have repeatedly confirmed in recent weeks their aim to change navigation standards in the strait, through Tehran controlling it and collecting trade fees, with revenues to be shared with Oman, which is located on the opposite shore of the strait.

However, Oman, along with all Western and Arab countries, rejected this matter.