Rubio Accuses Iran of Global Shipping Crisis, Warns of Terror Threat

Speaking briefly to reporters ahead of a meeting with New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters at the US State Department, Rubio said Washington was still awaiting developments on possible diplomatic engagement with Tehran.

"Hope we have more news later today on that," he said when asked whether Iran would come to the negotiating table.

His remarks in response to a question comes amid heightened tensions in the West Asia region, with repeated concerns over the safety of shipping lanes critical to global energy supplies.

"The whole world's been impacted unfortunately because Iran is violating every law known by striking commercial vessels in the Straits of Hormuz, and it's a big problem for the world," Rubio said.

He went further, characterising the Iranian leadership as dismissive of global rules and norms.

"I mean, this is a regime that doesn't believe in laws, rules, or anything like that. It's a state sponsor of terrorism, so it's not surprising that they're now conducting terrorist activity against commercial vessels," Rubio added.

The US Secretary of State's comments underscore Washington's effort to frame the current tensions not as a bilateral dispute but as a broader threat to international commerce and maritime security.

When asked about a warning from Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel that Havana would retaliate if the US launched operations there, Rubio brushed aside the remark.

"I don't think much about what he has to say," Rubio said.

The exchange came in a tightly controlled press interaction before Rubio's meeting with Peters, where broader regional security and global stability issues were expected to be discussed.

- IANS