U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under strict terms is unacceptable to Washington, arguing that it would effectively give Tehran control over a vital international waterway.
In an interview with Fox News, Rubio said Iran’s interpretation of access to the strait differs sharply from that of the broader international community.
“What they mean by opening the straits is, yes, the straits are open, as long as you coordinate with Iran, get our permission, or we’ll blow you up and you pay us,” Rubio stated.
He emphasized, “That’s not opening the straits. Those are international waterways. They cannot normalize, nor can we tolerate them trying to normalize, a system in which the Iranians decide who gets to use.”
Asked what the next step would be if no agreement is reached, Rubio pointed to President Trump as the ultimate decision-maker while highlighting the existing pressure campaign against Iran.
“Well, again, that’s the President’s decision to make. I would start out by reminding everybody that the level of sanctions on Iran are extraordinary, the pressure on Iran is extraordinary, and I think more can be brought to bear. But I hope that in the aftermath of this conflict, the whole world’s eyes have been opened to the threat Iran poses.”
Rubio added that Iran’s leadership calculates its moves carefully, weighing risks and benefits, and said the United States must ensure that the consequences of Tehran’s actions outweigh any potential gains.
“every decision they make, they weigh the costs and they weigh the benefits. And we have to make sure that the costs of all the nefarious things they are doing outweigh the benefits of what they are doing. This is the reason why the [naval] blockade is in place.”
He also clarified that the U.S. naval blockade is aimed specifically at Iran rather than at global shipping traffic.
“is not a blockade against shipping. It’s a blockade against Iranian shipping, because they cannot be the sole beneficiaries of an illegal, unlawful, and unjustified system of tolling and control in the straits.”
Rubio’s remarks came one day after Iran, through intermediaries in Pakistan, delivered a proposal outlining a phased approach to easing tensions with the United States.
According to a U.S. official and sources familiar with the discussions, the Iranian plan prioritizes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the current conflict, while postponing negotiations over its nuclear program to a later stage.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the administration is “discussing” the Iranian proposal concerning the Strait of Hormuz, but did not indicate that it is actively being “considered.”
{Matzav.com}