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Secretary of State Marco Rubio slammed Iran on Tuesday for its aggressive behavior in the Strait of Hormuz, lamenting the negative effects it has had on the world.
“The whole world has been impacted, unfortunately, because Iran is violating every law known by striking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz,” Secretary Rubio said.
“It’s a big problem for the world,” he continued. “I mean, this is a regime that doesn’t believe in laws, rules, or anything like that. It’s a state sponsor of terrorism, so, it’s not surprising that they’re now conducting terrorist activity against commercial vessels.”
The Strait is a critical shipping corridor that, while it does not necessarily affect U.S. oil and gas supply, strongly affects global allies in the region. According to TIME, some vessels have managed to slip through the Strait unaffected amid negotiations with the regime – countries like China, Russia, Pakistan, and Malaysia.
The full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz appears to be the only real military objective left for the United States, as the Pentagon and the Trump administration have broadly projected military dominance over the Iranian regime over the past five and a half weeks.
As reported by RSBN, President Trump has issued a Tuesday-night deadline for Iran to agree to U.S. terms and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He has threatened to destroy Iran as a civilization otherwise.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” President Trump wrote early Tuesday morning. “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?”
Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes have decimated at least eight bridge sections across different regions in Iran on Tuesday.
On the home front, Secretary of State Rubio has additionally taken action to remove Iranian sympathizers from the United States. Over the weekend, he announced the revocation of Hamideh Soleimani Afshar’s legal status in the U.S.
Afshar is the niece of slain Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani. She and her daughter are now in ICE custody, Rubio said, and will likely be removed from the United States.
“The Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes,” he said.