US Secretary of State Rubio: The United States is still willing to negotiate on the Iran issue

According to Zhitong Finance APP, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Wednesday that the United States remains willing to negotiate to resolve the Iran issue, but Tehran lacks sincerity in dialogue. Meanwhile, escalating conflicts have disrupted two of the world’s most critical energy transportation chokepoints.

Rubio made these remarks at the meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers. A day earlier, three tankers loaded with Saudi crude oil originally destined for Asia turned back in the Red Sea, widely seen as a response to recent threats from Yemen’s Houthi militants. The Houthis control coastal areas at the mouth of the Red Sea and announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on Monday, which could open a new front in the war. Since the joint U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, the conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths in the Gulf region.

With Iran threatening to block the Strait of Hormuz—the only exit from the Persian Gulf—the Red Sea has become Saudi Arabia’s main alternative route for exporting millions of barrels of crude oil daily.

An Iranian senior official revealed on Monday that Tehran had received a proposal from mediators for a 10-day ceasefire, aimed at salvaging the temporary ceasefire agreement signed between the U.S. and Iran in June this year, which replaced a deal reached in April. Another sign that diplomatic efforts have not completely stalled: Iran’s interior minister, Iskandar Momeni, has visited mediator Pakistan and requested Islamabad to continue its mediation efforts.

Rubio stated that Washington “remains committed to diplomatic solutions,” but doubted Tehran’s seriousness about negotiations. “The problem we face now is that they aren’t taking negotiations seriously. If they are serious, we’ll be serious; if they’re not, we’ll take the necessary measures to protect our interests and those of our allies,” Rubio said in Manila.

With no diplomatic breakthrough in sight, U.S. forces bombed targets inside Iran for the eleventh consecutive night on Tuesday. According to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, Tehran residents reported hearing explosions early Wednesday morning, and Iran promptly activated air defense systems over the capital. Iran's official news agency IRNA reported explosions in the southeastern coastal cities of Chabahar and Konarak, and two explosions near Bushehr, the site of Iran’s sole nuclear power plant.

Previously, Iran had attacked U.S. military targets in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, and a tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran claimed to have struck Amazon’s (AMZN.US) infrastructure in Bahrain (the company operates a regional data center there). Amazon declined to comment.

In addition, on the 22nd, Iran’s military issued a statement saying that Iranian forces used numerous drones to strike the U.S. military’s Doha camp in western Kuwait, targeting ammunition depots and logistics equipment for ground command centers. The statement noted that the Doha camp is a support center for U.S. forces stationed in West Asia and that a large amount of U.S. personnel and equipment are deployed there.

President Trump confirmed that 18 U.S. troops have died in the war to date, 4 of whom were killed in Iranian attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan and Iraq in recent days.

Impacted by Houthi threats, oil prices jumped over 2% on Tuesday, and continued rising during Wednesday’s Asian trading session, with Brent crude hovering around $93 per barrel and U.S. gasoline prices climbing back above $4 per gallon.

"Gate of Tears"

In a letter to shipping companies on Tuesday, the Houthis threatened to attack any vessel loading or unloading Saudi oil. Trump stated that the Houthis have not yet blocked the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait (the “Gate of Tears”—a narrow passage into the Red Sea) and warned that the U.S. would respond if they did. “It hasn’t happened yet,” Trump said. “If it does, we will deal with it.”

On Tuesday, three tankers carrying Saudi crude that were originally bound for China and India changed course in the Red Sea, heading towards the Suez Canal rather than risking passage through waters near the Yemeni coast. Throughout the war, Saudi Arabia has used pipelines to reroute some oil exports to Yanbu port on the Red Sea, to circumvent shipping disruptions. However, if the Houthis completely block this alternate route, most Saudi oil exports will be stranded, affecting global oil supplies.

Also on Tuesday, Trump again threatened to attack Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility “very soon”—he had previously claimed it was “completely destroyed” following a U.S. bombing in June 2025 on the mountain bunker. Iran had vowed retaliation at the time. Iran’s top military command—the Central Headquarters of Khatam al-Anbiya—issued a stern warning that if the U.S. attacks Iran’s nuclear facilities or other sensitive targets, Tehran will expand its counterattacks to cover U.S. and allied interests throughout the region.