US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is on a four-day visit to India, strongly criticised Iran over the ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Tehran of threatening global trade and worsening
energy instability across the world.
In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18 on Saturday, Rubio said rising oil prices and energy shortages were a direct consequence of Iran’s actions in the strategically crucial waterway.
“I mean, the reason why oil prices are going up, the reason why there’s energy shortage in parts of the world, is because Iran has decided to illegally, unlawfully, and criminally try to take control of the Straits of Hormuz and threaten to sink commercial ships that do not pay them a toll or comply with their instructions,” Rubio told CNN-News18.
He also acknowledged the difficulties involved in talks with Iran to bring an end to the war that began late February. Describing the Islamic Republic’s leadership as a “fractured system led by radical clerics,” the top US diplomat added that his country was still willing to pursue diplomacy to bring peace in West Asia.
