US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Southeast Asian foreign ministers on Wednesday that Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz would set a dangerous precedent with repercussions beyond the Middle East. His comments came amid ongoing US military strikes against Iran aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the waterway.
"If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation-state can decide to control an international waterway, charge a toll, and blow up your ships if you don't pay, we have created a very dangerous precedent that will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including this region," Rubio told envoys at a Manila gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Rubio emphasized that Iran's demand to control the transit of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz lacks any existing legal mechanism. He stressed the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation is threatened by such actions.
His remarks come as the region deals with overlapping claims by China and ASEAN member states in the South China Sea, another crucial maritime route for global trade. Rubio's arrival in the Philippines coincided with US condemnation of a recent clash between Chinese and Philippine sailors in the disputed waterway.
Rubio is set to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit. He will also hold talks with fellow Quad members India, Australia, and Japan, among others. The secretary of state added that the United States remains open to diplomacy with Iran but accused Tehran of not taking negotiations seriously.
