U.S. Secretary of State Rubio: Iran Has Completely Lost Control of Hormuz, Missed Chance for Nuclear Deal

[Financial News] U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched a blistering attack, saying Iran had completely lost control of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint, and that its economy had gone into “free fall” because of harsh sanctions.
According to AFP and other foreign media outlets on the 7th (local time), Rubio, who is on a tour of Europe, visited Athens that day and told reporters, “The Strait of Hormuz is open, and the volume of crude oil currently being transported through it is almost the same as before the conflict began.” He claimed that Iran had completely lost control of the strait. The U.S. side had earlier said that around 40 million barrels of crude oil had passed through the strait in the past 48 hours.
He said Iran’s economy was in a state of total and complete free fall because of devastating U.S. sanctions, warning that “it will face a severe situation that only a handful of countries around the world have experienced.”
He also reiterated his hard-line stance on the stalled Iranian nuclear issue. Rubio said Iran had missed several opportunities to reach a nuclear deal with the United States, stressing, “Iran can never have nuclear weapons, and any deal the United States can accept must guarantee that unequivocally.” A senior Iranian official, meanwhile, recently said that “the U.S. proposal regarding the nuclear program conflicts with Iran’s position,” and made clear that there are currently no negotiations underway with the United States.
Rubio also met with Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis that day and announced a new counterterrorism intelligence-sharing framework between the two countries’ law enforcement agencies. Rubio said that, given the situations in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, a strong partnership and energy ties with Greece were important. Gerapetritis responded that Greece would work with the United States on maritime support in the Strait of Hormuz if needed.
Around 2,000 Greek citizens also gathered in central Athens that day to protest Rubio’s visit. Rubio also dismissed allegations that the United States had asked a third country to prevent Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado from returning home, saying, “The premise of the question is not true.” After visiting Iceland and then Greece, he is scheduled to conclude his European tour in Lisbon, Portugal.
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