Rubio warns ASEAN that Iran control of Hormuz risks wider fallout
Why it matters: ASEAN ministers warned a full closure could hit Asia hardest because about 60% of the region’s energy supply moves through the strait.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Southeast Asian foreign ministers in Manila on Wednesday that letting Iran control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would set a dangerous precedent for other regions. Rubio said Iran was seeking to control an international waterway, impose tolls and threaten ships that did not comply, calling that a threat to freedom of navigation. His remarks came as US Central Command said it had struck military targets in Iran for an 11th straight night to weaken threats to commercial shipping. ASEAN ministers separately voiced serious concern about the US-Iran war, saying a total closure of the strait would damage efforts toward a diplomatic settlement and hit Asian economies heavily.