U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that Iran’s demands to control transit through the Strait of Hormuz and impose transit fees pose a threat to the global economy and the principle of freedom of navigation.
“If we set a precedent in the Middle East whereby a nation-state can decide that it should control an international waterway, charge transit fees, and, if those fees are not paid, blow up your ships, then we will create a very dangerous precedent that could be repeated in other parts of the world, including in this region,” Rubio was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.
According to Rubio, the United States remains in contact with Saudi Arabian officials following threats by the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen to attack commercial vessels in the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea.
“Iran is at the center of this issue. Iran is the primary disruptor of peace in the region,” Rubio said.
