United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered extensive remarks following the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers' meeting in France, denouncing Iran's continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and addressing settler violence in the occupied West Bank. Speaking to journalists on an airport tarmac on Friday, Rubio responded to reports that Iran plans to implement a tolling system in the vital waterway, which handles approximately 20% of the world's liquid petroleum supply.

Rubio strongly condemned what he described as an illegal and dangerous Iranian plan to establish a "tollbooth system" through its armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He stated, "Not only is this illegal, it's unacceptable. It's dangerous for the world, and it's important that the world have a plan to confront it. The United States is prepared to be a part of that plan." Rubio called on G7 members—including Japan, Canada, France, the UK, Italy, Germany, and the EU—as well as Asian countries to "contribute greatly to that effort."

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global oil transit route, with an average of 20 million barrels per day passing through before the US and Israel's war against Iran began on February 28. Since the outbreak of hostilities, Iran has threatened to close the strait, grinding most tanker traffic to a standstill, though a few vessels linked to Iran or China have been allowed passage. Rubio warned that Iran seeks to make this control permanent, urging international outrage and action.

However, the Trump administration has allegedly struggled to rally allies and world powers to join its offensive against Iran. Many European allies have maintained they would limit involvement to defensive actions, with the G7 statement reiterating calls for an "immediate cessation of attacks against civilians" and the "absolute necessity to permanently restore safe and toll-free freedom of navigation" but falling short of pledging resources or aid to the US and Israeli war effort. Rubio echoed Trump's assessment that the war is proceeding as planned, claiming objectives like destroying Iran's navy and uranium enrichment program are being achieved without ground troops.

Rubio also briefly addressed escalating Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, where the UN estimates over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. He remarked, "We're concerned about that, and we've expressed it. I think there's concern in the Israeli government about it as well," suggesting the government may take action. Critics argue Israel has largely turned a blind eye to such violence, a point underscored by President Trump's move in January 2025 to cancel sanctions against Israeli settlers accused of grave abuses in the West Bank upon starting his second term.

Source: www.aljazeera.com