🔶 Rubio: If negotiations do not yield results, we are ready to defend our interests and the security of our allies

Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, said on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit of Southeast Asian countries that the United States wants to reach a diplomatic agreement with Iran. At the same time, he warned that if the path of negotiations does not lead to results, Washington will take action to defend its interests and the security of its allies.

Rubio said the Islamic Republic, by breaching its commitment regarding the Strait of Hormuz, “has gotten into big trouble.”

He emphasized that the crisis in the Middle East has now affected global trade, and its economic pressures are also being felt in Asia.

The ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting is being held at a time when the war in the Middle East has disrupted trade and energy routes and has fueled instability in global markets.

This crisis has been one of the main areas of diplomatic consultations on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit.

The U.S. Secretary of State also said that none of China’s actions has changed the overall course of the dispute with Iran.

However, he added that Beijing, in some cases, has cooperated with Washington regarding Iran.