U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday urged China to use its influence with Iran to dissuade it from closing the Strait of Hormuz, following American military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Appearing on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo," Rubio addressed reports from Iran’s state-run Press TV that the Iranian parliament had approved a measure to shut down the strategic waterway, which is a critical passage for nearly 20% of the world’s oil and gas shipments.
“I would encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to reach out to them on that,” Rubio said. “They depend heavily on the Strait of Hormuz for their energy needs.”
He warned that any attempt by Iran to close the strait would be “another terrible mistake” and amount to “economic suicide.”
“We have options to deal with that if it happens,” Rubio added, “but other countries should also take this very seriously—it would damage global economies, in some cases worse than ours.”
Closing the strait, he said, would be a major escalation requiring a response from the United States and others.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment.
U.S. defense officials say the military operation destroyed Iran’s key nuclear sites using 14 bunker-busting bombs, over two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles, and more than 125 aircraft. The attack represents a significant escalation in the conflict that has unfolded across the Middle East.
Tehran has pledged to defend itself. On Sunday, Rubio cautioned Iran against any retaliation, warning that such a move would be “the worst mistake they’ve ever made.”
Still, he said, the United States remains open to dialogue with Iran.
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