U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran of not honoring an interim agreement governing the Strait of Hormuz, warning that allowing Tehran to control the waterway would set a dangerous precedent threatening global trade and freedom of navigation.
Speaking at the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Manila, Rubio accused Tehran of lacking any intention to negotiate seriously, though he said Washington remains open to constructive talks. The dispute centres on a memorandum of understanding signed on 17 June that has since unravelled. Tehran has re-imposed a blockade of the strait while Washington resumed blockading Iranian ports, after Iran and Oman declared on 23 June that any arrangements must respect coastal-state sovereignty.
The escalation drove Brent crude past $91 a barrel and U.S. petrol to an average of $4 a gallon, as U.S. Central Command struck Iranian targets for an 11th consecutive night.