Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday evening that the United States remains open to diplomatic talks with Iran, even as American forces launched another round of airstrikes targeting Iranian positions.
Speaking to reporters before boarding a flight to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) conference in Manila, Philippines, Rubio indicated that U.S. military actions are a direct reaction to recent actions taken by Tehran.
“The U.S. remains open to a diplomatic solution” with Iran and “will continue to try” to negotiate, Rubio said, “but their behavior is what we’re responding to.”
During his remarks, Rubio signaled that long-term American security guarantees for international shipping corridors in the Middle East have limits, pressing foreign nations to contribute resources or funding toward maritime defense operations in the region.
“It is not the United States’ job to protect shipping for the entire planet forever,” Rubio said.
Rubio echoed recent statements from the White House regarding the financial responsibility of securing key maritime transit points, specifically referencing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical bottleneck for global energy transportation.
“The point the president is making is: At some point, the countries that are benefiting from the shipping in the strait should come forward and, at least, provide financial assistance for the cost of providing this very valuable service,” Rubio said.
Highlighting the scope of current operations, Rubio noted that the vast majority of commercial vessels passing through the region do not carry U.S. flags or deliver goods directly to American ports.
“The United States is taking on the burden –every night– of protecting global shipping. Virtually none of those vessels are flagged U.S. Almost none of those vessels are delivering cargo or fuel to the U.S. So we are basically providing this service of protecting these ships on behalf of the world,” he said.
Rubio added that recent Iranian actions suggest an attempt to establish control over the strategic passage to gain global leverage.
“I do think the world is coming to the point where it is clear that at least some people in Iran want to toll the straits and hold that as leverage against the world,” Rubio said. “And the world has to decide whether or not it is going to allow an international waterway to be under the control of a country like this — which is completely unlawful and unacceptable.”
He concluded by calling on international partners to share the logistical and financial obligations of maintaining maritime security in the region.
“The United States will do what it needs to, but other countries need to begin to step up and provide hardware or finances to help carry that burden,” Rubio said.
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