Marco Rubio warns Iran against closing Strait of Hormuz, calls it ‘economic suicide'; urges China to intervene\
US Secretary of State
on Sunday cautioned Iran against closing the Strait of Hormuz, calling it 'economic suicide,' and urged China to use its influence to dissuade Tehran amid rising tensions in the region.
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His remarks followed reports that Iran's parliament had approved a proposal to shut the vital waterway.
'If Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it and we retain options to deal with that,' Rubio said on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. He added, 'I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil.'
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, with around 20% of global oil and gas supplies flowing through it. Its closure, Rubio warned, would be a 'massive escalation' and 'would hurt other countries' economies a lot worse than ours.'
Iran's Press TV reported earlier that while the parliament has passed the measure, the final decision rests with the Supreme National Security Council.
Revolutionary Guards commander and lawmaker Esmail Kosari said, 'The closure of the strait is on the agenda and will be done whenever necessary.'
The proposal comes amid heightened hostilities between Iran, Israel, and the US, with Washington recently launching airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Energy analysts warn that any disruption in the strait could trigger a sharp rise in global oil prices and worsen geopolitical instability.
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In a related comment on Iran's nuclear programme, Rubio said the US is still open to negotiations. 'The Iranian regime should wake up and say 'OK, if we really want nuclear energy in our country, there's a way to do it.' That offer's still there, we're prepared to talk to them tomorrow,' he said.
Rubio reiterated that the US is willing to support Iran's civilian nuclear power ambitions, provided it does not enrich its own fuel. 'Ultimately, they have to make a decision... there are many countries that have nuclear reactors without enriching uranium,' he said.
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