Rubio Tells Allies US Shifting From Strikes to Sanctions on Iran: Report

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told several allied foreign ministers that Washington does not expect to launch new strikes against Iran “for the time being,” Axios reported Tuesday.

According to Axios, Rubio explained the Trump administration’s current Iran strategy during phone calls with foreign counterparts. The focus will instead be on increasing economic and maritime pressure, including a US naval blockade and a new sanctions initiative announced by the Treasury Department.

The US administration also plans to move as much Iranian oil as possible through the Strait of Hormuz and into global energy markets, the report said.

One US official told Axios that Washington was not planning to return to major combat operations but would not rule out military action if Iran attacks first.

Another US official said the US Navy’s efforts to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz could be a major turning point, arguing that this had reduced one of Iran’s main sources of leverage.

Axios reported that the current US approach could continue until after the US midterm elections. A renewed military campaign could become an option after the elections.

Iran, however, has rejected claims that US forces have cleared mines from the waterway.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tuesday that US forces had not cleared the mines or prepared to send mine-sweeping vessels into the area.

“If the United States claims that the mines have been completely cleared, why doesn’t a US ship pass through?” Gharibabadi said.

He added that only Iran knows the location of the mines and warned that US mine-sweeping vessels entering the area would be considered targets.

“If US mine-sweepers enter the region, they will become targets for us,” Gharibabadi said, adding that US President Donald Trump’s comments about mine clearance were intended to calm markets.