World
Marco Rubio Warns Iran: 'We'll Respond' as Strait of Hormuz Standoff Intensifies
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday described American military actions in and around Iran during the current ceasefire as “defensive”, as Washington continues efforts to secure shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at the White House, Rubio said US forces would only respond if attacked.
“This is not an offensive operation. This is a defensive operation. What that means is very simple: There’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first,” he said. “You’re not going to let some fast boat come up on the ship and shoot it up. We’re going to respond to it. And we’ve been successful,” he added.
The US said on Monday it had shot down multiple Iranian boats as part of ongoing naval operations.
‘Project Freedom’ and Strait of Hormuz Tensions
Rubio outlined a US initiative known as “Project Freedom”, aimed at guiding commercial vessels safely through the strait, describing it as a “protective bubble”. “This is the first step towards reopening the strait and bringing this regime’s last-ditch, active economic arson, bringing that to a close,” he said.
The waterway, a key global trade route, has seen sharply reduced traffic since the conflict escalated.
Rubio said a number of countries had urged Washington to act to restore safe passage. “So already, many nations, privately and some publicly, have asked the United States to help free their ships and to restore freedom of navigation in the straits of Hormuz and this critical artery of global trade,” he said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59bl34_-jkAThe secretary warned that vessels stranded in the region were facing worsening conditions. “These ships, you know, you don’t leave a ship out there for this long. You start running out of food. You start running out of potable water, essential supplies, and they’re at the mercy of this piracy,” he said.
He added that countries not directly involved in the conflict were being affected, both economically and in terms of safety.
Maritime Focus
Rubio criticised Tehran’s actions in the waterway, saying the situation should not become normalised. “They’re trying to make this some new normal,” he said. “Under no circumstances can we ever allow them to normalize the fact that they get to blow up commercial ships and put mines in the water.”
“Our preference is for these straits to be opened to the way they’re supposed to be opened, back to the way it was,” he added.
Rubio said a previous US combat operation against Iran had concluded. “The operation is over. Epic Fury, as the president notified Congress, we’re done with that stage of it,” he said. “We achieved the objectives of that operation.”
He added that US efforts were now focused on maritime security through “Project Freedom”.
Nuclear Concerns
Addressing Iran’s nuclear programme, Rubio said future negotiations would need to tackle both uranium enrichment and existing stockpiles. “As far as a negotiation is concerned, I think the president’s been clear that part of the negotiation process has to be not just the enrichment, but what happens to this material that’s very deep somewhere,” he said.
He added that Washington was seeking clarity on what Tehran would be willing to negotiate. “We don’t have to have the actual agreement written out,” he said, “but we have to have a diplomatic solution that is very clear about the topics that they are willing to negotiate on and the extent and the concessions they’re willing to make.”
Rubio also warned of the broader risks posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “They would do exactly to the world with a nuclear weapon what they’re doing now with the [Strait of Hormuz],” he said, adding that “someone has to do something about it.”
He accused Iran of pursuing capabilities consistent with a nuclear weapons programme, despite its repeated denials, and said Tehran now had an opportunity to demonstrate otherwise.
The briefing marked Rubio’s first at the White House in his current role, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on maternity leave.
