Rubio Tells ASEAN Iranian Control of Hormuz Sets Dangerous Precedent

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned at an ASEAN meeting in Manila that Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz sets a dangerous precedent for freedom of navigation worldwide, as the US conducted its 11th night of strikes on Iranian targets.

Rubio Warns on Hormuz Precedent at ASEAN Meeting

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Southeast Asian foreign ministers on Wednesday that Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz would set a dangerous precedent with repercussions beyond the Middle East. [3] His comments came as US Central Command said it had begun striking military targets in Iran for the "11th consecutive night" in a bid to degrade the country's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the waterway. [3] "If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation-state can decide to control an international waterway, charge a toll, and blow up your ships if you don't pay, we have created a very dangerous precedent that will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including this region," Rubio told envoys at a Manila gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. [3] "At its core, it's very simple. Iran demands the right - which they do not have under any existing legal mechanism - to control the transit of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz," he said. [3] "There is a fundamental principle about freedom of navigation that is threatened," he added. [3] "That cannot be allowed to happen." [3] Rubio's remarks came as the region is grappling with a series of overlapping claims by China and ASEAN member states in the South China Sea, another crucial maritime route for global trade. [3]

US Strikes Continue Against Iranian Targets

The comments came amid US Central Command strikes aimed at degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. [3] The US military said it completed an 11th consecutive night of strikes to "further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz". [4] President Donald Trump said the United States was "not finished" attacking Iran. [4]

Diplomacy With Iran Remains Possible but Unlikely

Rubio said the US remains open to diplomacy with Iran but that Tehran is not taking negotiations seriously. [3] "The United States remains open and willing to engage in positive and constructive negotiations and discussions, provided that the commitments made are honoured," he said. [3] "The problem we are currently facing is that they are not taking the negotiations seriously," Rubio said. [3] "If they are serious, we will be too. If they are not, then we will do what is necessary to protect our interests and those of our allies." [3]

Rubio Meets Wang Yi Amid South China Sea Tensions

Rubio is holding talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN gathering to prepare for a possible September Trump-Xi summit, amid tensions over South China Sea incidents involving the Philippines. [2] Rubio's meeting with Wang, which was confirmed by a State Department official, comes amid a fragile truce between the global superpowers that could be complicated by US President Donald Trump's accusations last week of Chinese meddling in US elections, which Beijing has denied. [2] The wider meeting in Manila takes place amid renewed hostilities and a potential new front in the conflict between the United States and Iran, and as diplomatic tension flares between Beijing and close US ally the Philippines over an incident in the South China Sea that led to the summoning of ambassadors in both capitals. [2] Rubio joined a meeting early on Wednesday with the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, where he is expected to stress Washington's commitment to stand up for maritime rights in the South China Sea and honour US obligations to regional allies. [2] In an opinion piece in Philippine media published on his arrival in Manila on Tuesday that took aim at Beijing, Rubio said Southeast Asian countries are confronting "new and coercive threats" and the US was committed to upholding freedom of navigation. [2] "That freedom is by no means guaranteed. If those waters fall under the control of a power willing to use commerce as a geopolitical weapon, both the United States and the ASEAN states would face dire new threats to their sovereignty, security, and economic futures," Rubio wrote. [2] Wang is due to meet on the sidelines on Wednesday with Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro, the chair of the ASEAN-led gathering. [2] In talks with ASEAN's Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn on Tuesday, Wang said certain elements of the Philippines' security apparatus had "deliberately engaged in provocations and created maritime incidents", according to Beijing's readout of the meeting. [2] Wang said that served the interests of "external forces", adding the South China Sea issue should not be an obstacle in its relations with ASEAN and Beijing was willing to work with the bloc to "eliminate interfering factors". [2] Analysts have said a meeting between Rubio and his Chinese counterpart would likely focus on preparations for a second meeting between Trump and Xi after the two met last May. [2] Trump has said Xi will visit the US at the end of September, and Rubio on Sunday said the summit was still anticipated. [2]

Markets React to Middle East Developments

Asian stock markets rose on tech gains while Brent crude climbed above US$92 per barrel after President Trump said the US was not finished attacking Iran. [4] Enthusiasm for tech shares boosted Asian stocks for a second day Wednesday, as more mayhem in the Middle East lifted Brent crude back above US$92 a barrel and the yen came under renewed pressure. [4] Tech stocks have had a bumpy ride because of fears that the buzz around artificial intelligence may not match reality and that shares in the sector are overcooked. [4] But mirroring overnight gains on the Nasdaq, Asia tech stocks rose for a second straight day, with Tokyo up almost 2 per cent and semiconductor-heavy Seoul soaring 5.4 per cent. [4] Brent crude moved up around 1 per cent to northwards of US$92, the highest intraday price since Jun 11, as President Donald Trump said the United States was "not finished" attacking Iran. [4] "Our view is that we'll be kind of in this US$80 to US$90 range, depending on the news flow," said Jay Hatfield at Infrastructure Capital Management. [4]

What to watch next: Rubio is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, where he will also have talks with fellow Quad members India, Australia and Japan, and others. [3]