PARIS: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that economic pressure made major combat operations against Iran unnecessary for now, while Tehran pressed Washington to accept its conditions for reopening Hormuz.
Speaking after the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers’ meetings, Rubio argued that sanctions and the naval blockade were achieving Washington’s objectives without renewed large-scale attacks.
“Right now there is no need for major combat operations,” he said.
Iran offered a different assessment. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the Islamic Republic News Agency that neither military action nor tougher sanctions would resolve the conflict. He urged Washington to pursue diplomacy and address Tehran’s demands.
Those conditions include ending the war on all fronts, releasing frozen Iranian assets, lifting oil sanctions and ending the US blockade of Iranian ports. Tehran maintains that it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if Washington accepts its terms.
President Donald Trump had signalled restraint on Monday after meeting Qatar’s prime minister at the White House. He described further strikes as unlikely while maintaining that US forces remained ready to act.
Trump pointed to momentum towards ending the eight-month conflict, but neither government announced an agreement.
Qatar and Pakistan are leading mediation efforts. A Qatari Foreign Ministry official described progress in negotiations while stressing the continuing effort to narrow differences between the parties.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband urged a stronger diplomatic push, warning that the continuing impasse was inflicting economic damage. He called for an end to the conflict and the full reopening of the strait. Meanwhile, shipping incidents continued despite the diplomatic activity.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said its logistics and services arm reported damage to a vessel after an attack in United Arab Emirates territorial waters on Tuesday afternoon. Response teams were dealing with the incident.
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Separately, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that an unidentified projectile struck a tanker about 19 nautical miles northeast of Lima, Oman. Its alert said the crew were safe and reported no environmental impact.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that three tankers were burning in the strait. Available accounts did not establish whether that claim concerned the same vessels identified in the other reports.
UKMTO advised ships to exercise caution and report suspicious activity while authorities investigate.
(With additional input from AFP and Reuters.)
