Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined U.S. efforts to secure maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz during a White House press briefing Tuesday, describing a mission focused on protecting commercial vessels and rescuing thousands of civilians stranded in the region.
Rubio, who delivered the briefing in place of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, spoke at length about “Project Freedom,” the U.S.-led initiative designed to counter Iranian threats against shipping lanes. He said the operation’s objective is “to rescue almost 23,000 civilians from 87 different countries that are trapped and left for dead in the Persian Gulf by the Iranian regime.”
He sharply criticized Iran’s actions in the waterway, calling its blockade of the strait “not just criminal,” but “desperate and destructive,” and labeling it “piracy.”
Rubio warned that the consequences extend far beyond the immediate conflict, noting that “Nations from around the world, the overwhelming majority of whom are not even engaged in any military hostilities, are now at risk, not just of losing their cargo, but the lives of their own citizens, because of this blockade,” he said, adding that ships could soon run out of basic supplies such as food and potable water.
Emphasizing the humanitarian aspect, Rubio said, “These are innocent bystanders. These are countries and ships that have nothing to do with any of this, and nonetheless, are being caught in the middle of it and being held hostage, merely because Iran can do it. Just as the regime brutally slaughtered tens of thousands of its own citizens for the crime of peaceful protest.”
He further stated that ten civilian sailors have already died due to the blockade and related attacks, and that several countries have requested U.S. assistance in freeing their vessels.
Rubio described Project Freedom as a limited military effort, saying it is a “defensive operation” in which U.S. forces will engage only if fired upon first.
Addressing regional tensions, Rubio also commented on the situation in Lebanon, stating that “there’s no problem between the Lebanese government and the Israeli government. Israel doesn’t claim that any land in Lebanon belongs to them.”
He identified the Iran-backed Hezbollah as the central issue, saying, “They terrorize and attack Israelis, but they also are inflicting tremendous damage on the Lebanese people. The reason why Lebanon gets attacked by Israel is because of Hezbollah, because Hezbollah is hiding in some house, launching rockets against Israelis.”
Rubio said Israel’s military actions are aimed at countering those threats and reiterated that the broader objective is the disarmament of Hezbollah.
{Matzav.com}