WASHINGTON: On Sunday (Jun 22), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged China to persuade Iran against closing the Strait of Hormuz after the US conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Rubio made his remarks during an appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo,” following a report from Iran’s Press TV that the Iranian parliament had approved a proposal to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supply.
“I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to discuss this matter, as they rely significantly on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil,” Rubio, who also holds the position of national security adviser, stated.
“If they proceed with this plan, it would be another grave error—a move that amounts to economic suicide for them. We still have options available to respond, but other nations should take this seriously as well. The impact on their economies would be far worse than on ours.”
Rubio emphasized that closing the strait would represent a serious escalation that would warrant a response from the US and other nations.
The Chinese embassy in Washington has not yet provided any comment.
