Rubio: Don’t Let Iran Normalize Illegal Blockage of Strait

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on other countries to join the United States in taking action against Iran’s blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. 

“Iran cannot be allowed to normalize this control of the strait,” he said. “It’s completely unlawful, illegal. It’s outrageous, and every country in the world should be joining us in condemning it and doing something about it, but the United States has stepped up.” 

Rubio briefed the press on Iran Tuesday in the place of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave. He addressed President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States will come to the aid of ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz due to security concerns.

Trump named the operation “Project Freedom.” 

“Right now, you have a country who is unlawfully, criminally and illegally taking possession of an international waterway and blowing up commercial vessels and putting mines in the water,” Rubio said. “I don’t know how people don’t appreciate how outrageous this is, how unacceptable it is that any country would fire and try to sink commercial vessels or put mines in the water.”

Iran has placed an unknown number of mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which 20% of the world’s crude oil passes. 

Rubio said the U.S. is appealing to the United Nations. 

“All we’re asking to do is to condemn it, to call on Iran to stop blowing ships, to remove these mines and to allow humanitarian relief to come through, because there’s humanitarian aid that’s trapped,” he said. “That’s it, it is a very modest request.” 

Someone needs to stop Iran from this criminal activity, Rubio said. “And that’s why the United States military is guiding stranded commercial ships safely through the strait and is working to restore freedom of navigation and putting an end to these efforts to blow to hold the global economy hostage.”

After Project Freedom began Monday morning regional time, two U.S. merchant ships have already safely passed through the strait, Rubio said. 

“They’re now safely along the way,” he said.