Iran has lost ‘complete control’ of Hormuz, US able to ‘provide security’ in Middle East, says Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in Greece on Wednesday that Iran has “lost complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz and the pre-war oil transit volumes have been restored.

“The Strait of Hormuz is open and the quantities of oil exiting through it now are exactly the same as the quantities that were exiting before its closure,” said Rubio while speaking at a news conference in Athens along with Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis.

Rubio further said that Iran has failed to take advantage of the “multiple opportunities” it had to reach an agreement with the United States on its nuclear programme.

Rubio’s comments come even as commercial vessels continue to be attacked in the critical waterway by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

US has military might to provide security in Middle East: Rubio

Rubio emphasised that the United States has the “ability to provide security” in the Middle East because of its powerful military capabilities.

He also reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to ensuring Iran never gets a nuclear weapon as Tehran tries to “drive our forces out of the region”.

At a news conference in Athens with his Greek counterpart, Rubio added that Greece will cooperate with the US in the besieged Strait of Hormuz “if necessary”.

Rubio also said that as a result of “crippling” sanctions imposed by the US, the Iranian economy is “about to reach a place few countries in the world have been.”

“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, simple, period, end of story, and anything they agree to that would be acceptable to the United States has to be something that ensures that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Iran is trying to “build up a conventional capability so massive that they would become untouchable”, he added.

Iran must cut enrichment to end war, says Vance

US Vice President JD Vance has, meanwhile, said in an interview that Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to satisfy US demands and end the countries’ seven-month war.

Speaking after a campaign trip in Alaska, Vance said any agreement would require Iran to reduce its nuclear enrichment capacity.

“If you don’t want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60% enriched fuel? And if you want to show commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, don’t build highly enriched ⁠fuel. That’s a very basic threshold issue,” Vance said.

“I think if they want to show a commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, they would do something meaningful on their enrichment capacity,” the VP added.