Washington DC: United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday (local time) slammed Iran for its attempts to regulate or monetise the passage of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally transits. He warned that US would not accept such moves, calling them an illegitimate claim over an international route.
What Did Marco Rubio Say?
In an interview with Fox News, Rubio said the United States would reject any effort to “normalise” a system in which Iran dictates access to one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints.
“If what they mean by opening the Straits is ‘Yes, the straits are open as long as you coordinate with Iran. Get our permission, or we’ll blow you up and pay us.’ That’s not opening the Strait. That is an international waterway,” Rubio said.
“They cannot normalise, nor can we tolerate them trying to normalise, a system in which the Iranians decide who gets to use an international waterway and how much you have to pay them to use it,” he added.
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