US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during his press conference in Rome that, “We’re expecting a response from them today at some point… I hope it’s a serious offer, I really do.”
“The hope is it’s something that can put us into a serious process of negotiation,” he further said.
He also called Iran’s efforts to control the Strait of Hormuz “unacceptable”, as Iranian media confirmed that Tehran has set up a new authority to approve ships passing through the key waterways.
“Iran now claims that they own, that they have a right to control, an international waterway… That’s an unacceptable thing that they’re trying to normalise,” Rubio told reporters during his press conference in Rome.
On the other hand, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran would never bow to pressure, as he wrote on X, “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure. Is it a crude pressure tactic? Or the result of a spoiler once again duping POTUS into another quagmire? Whatever the causes, the outcome is the same: Iranians never bow to pressure.”
Earlier, at the start of the war between the US, Israel, and Iran ON February 28, Iran had completely closed the Strait of Hormuz. After that, the US also started the blockade of the Strait.
US forces only responded after Iranian forces opened fire
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the US forces only responded after Iranian forces opened fire on American warships.
“We didn’t fire first, they fired at us,” Rubio said on Friday.
Meanwhile, Iran’s central military command claimed the clash started after US vessels targeted an Iranian civilian tanker heading towards the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also accused the United States of attacking civilian areas.
Also Read, ‘Strait of Hormuz’ will reopen with or without Iran’s cooperation: Marco Rubio
