US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused Iran of using the Strait of Hormuz as a “tool of pressure” amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, urging other countries to do more to protect global shipping. Speaking to reporters before travelling to the Philippines to attend a foreign ministers’ meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Rubio said: “It is clear that Iran, or at least some people in Iran, want to have control over the Strait of Hormuz and use it as leverage against the world.” He said the United States would take “whatever action is necessary” to protect international maritime traffic, but added that other countries should play a greater role, either by providing equipment or contributing financially to the effort. Asked whether a diplomatic solution was still possible to end the escalating tensions with Iran, Rubio said Washington remained open to diplomacy, but stressed that any agreement must be “real” and one that Tehran would be willing to uphold. Referring to the understanding reached between Washington and Tehran to end the war, the US secretary of state said that if Iran violated its terms, “it could no longer be considered valid or in effect.”
