Marco Rubio's Fox News Interview
"If Iran Attempts to Acquire Nuclear Weapons, the Regime Will Be in Jeopardy"
As the United States carried out airstrikes on major nuclear facilities in Iran, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on June 22 (local time) urged the Chinese government to intervene diplomatically to prevent Iran from blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
Appearing on Fox News that day, Secretary Rubio stated, "The Chinese government relies heavily on oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz, so they need to reach out to Iran on this issue."
Regarding the possibility of Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz, he warned, "If Iran pushes ahead with such a measure, it would be another terrible mistake," adding, "It would be an act of economic suicide for themselves." He continued, "We have a variety of options to respond, and other countries should also pay close attention to this matter," emphasizing that a blockade of the strait "would have a much greater impact on the economies of other countries than on the United States."
Secretary Rubio also took a hardline stance on Iran's potential possession of nuclear weapons. He said, "What we want right now is to ensure that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons," and added, "If Iran continues to pursue nuclear weapons, I truly believe it will put the regime in jeopardy." He also warned that if Iran retaliates against the U.S. airstrikes, "it would be the worst possible mistake," adding, "We can enter and exit Iranian airspace at will."
However, he stressed that regime change in Iran is not the objective, and emphasized that the United States is ready to negotiate as soon as tomorrow if Iran is willing.
Secretary Rubio's remarks came shortly after the Iranian parliament resolved to blockade the Strait of Hormuz in response to the U.S. airstrikes the previous day. According to Iran's state-run Press TV, Esmail Kousari, chairman of the National Security Committee, stated this fact, adding, "The final decision rests with the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC)."
Earlier, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance also criticized Iran's potential blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in an interview with NBC News that morning, calling it "an act of suicide." He pointed out, "Iran's entire economy passes through the Strait of Hormuz," and said, "Choosing to destroy its own economy and cause chaos in the world makes no sense."
The Strait of Hormuz is a key oil transport route in the Middle East. About 20% of the world's daily oil supply passes through this strait. If an actual blockade were to occur, some predict that international oil prices could more than double. Bloomberg Economics (BE), JP Morgan, and Oxford Economics have warned that if Iran actually blocks the strait, international oil prices could surpass $130 per barrel.
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