Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that Washington is looking for an answer from Iran on potential negotiations and made clear that any move by Tehran to assert control over a major international shipping route would not be tolerated.

Speaking in Rome after meeting with Pope Leo, Rubio told reporters that the administration expected to hear from Iran shortly. “We should know something today. I mean, we’re expecting a response from them,” he said.

He indicated that the United States hopes Tehran’s reply will move the situation toward meaningful diplomacy. According to Rubio, the goal is for the response to “put us into a serious process of negotiation.”

Rubio also responded to reports that Iran may be working to create a body that would oversee maritime traffic through a strategic strait. He warned that such a step would raise serious concerns.

“That would be very problematic. That would actually be unacceptable,” Rubio said. “The normalizing of their controlling of international waterways is both illegal and it’s just something that’s unacceptable.”

He broadened the warning, urging the international community to consider how it would react if Iran moved ahead with such plans. “And the world has to start asking itself, what is it willing to do if Iran tries to normalize a control of an international waterway? I think that’s unacceptable,” he added.

While no official reply had yet been received, Rubio suggested that internal challenges within Iran could be delaying a response. “their system is still highly fractured and a bit dysfunctional as well, so that may be serving as an impediment,” he said.

Despite that, Rubio expressed hope that any proposal from Tehran would be substantive. “I hope it’s a serious offer. I really do,” he stated.

Turning to the situation in the Middle East, Rubio said additional discussions involving Israel and Lebanon are anticipated in the near future, though no specific date has been finalized.

“We expect talks. I don’t know if we’ve set the exact date yet, but we expect that there will be additional talks,” he said.

Rubio pointed to Italy as a country that could contribute meaningfully to stabilizing Lebanon and assisting its government.

He said Italy could play “a very productive role and a constructive role” in supporting the Lebanese government.

He emphasized that all sides ultimately seek stronger ties between Israel and Lebanon’s recognized leadership. “In the end, we all share the same goal, and by all I mean, including the Lebanese government and the Israeli government, that we want the relations between Israel and Lebanon, its legitimate government, to be very strong,” Rubio stated.

Rubio also addressed Hezbollah’s influence, describing the group as closely tied to Tehran and blaming it for ongoing unrest in Lebanon.

He called Hezbollah “an Iranian agent” and said the group was responsible for instability in Lebanon.

“The reason why Lebanon faces bombings, the reason why Lebanon faces violence, is because of Hezbollah. It is Hezbollah that’s imposing this on them,” Rubio said.

According to Rubio, the United States is aiming for a Lebanon governed solely by its official authorities, without interference from armed factions.

He said the objective is “a strong Lebanese government that doesn’t have an armed Hezbollah operating within its national territory imposing a threat to any of its neighbors.”

Rubio added that Italy could help curb the financial networks that sustain Hezbollah.

He noted that Italy could assist “in cutting off the illicit financing that supports Hezbollah and the danger they pose.”

Addressing whether resolving tensions with Iran is a prerequisite for progress in Lebanon, Rubio said Hezbollah’s existence is tied directly to Tehran.

“Hezbollah wouldn’t exist without Iran’s support,” he said.

Even so, Rubio maintained that diplomatic progress involving Lebanon remains achievable.

“I think Hezbollah has been both weakened, but still capable of inflicting damage and doing terroristic activities, as we’ve seen,” Rubio stated.

He stressed that the United States would not engage Iran in talks specifically centered on Hezbollah unless Tehran ends its backing of the group. “We’re not going to negotiate with Iran over Hezbollah, because Hezbollah is dangerous other than if they’re willing to stop funding them and supporting them,” he added.

Rubio concluded by underscoring that Lebanon’s sovereignty must be upheld by its own government, not undermined by armed groups operating within its borders.

He said Lebanon “should be governed by the Lebanese government” and not by “a terrorist group operating within its national territory that poses a threat both to its own people, including the Shia population, and to the government, and to Israel, and to its other neighbors.”

{Matzav.com}