US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on the other G7 countries to take a more active role in protecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, where vessels continue to face the risk of Iranian attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles.
The appeal was made during the two-day meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Paris. Rubio said he had raised the issue with his counterparts but had not received a specific response.
“I raised the issue. I did not get an answer,” Marco Rubio said.The US secretary of state said the United States would continue to protect shipping along the strategic waterway. According to him, the security of maritime routes is in the interest of the entire world, since the United States does not receive oil from the Strait of Hormuz.
France and other US allies, however, said military operations must end before they provide minesweepers and other assistance to protect tankers and other vessels. Rubio described the discrepancy as “something of a ‘Catch-22’”.
“There are countries saying: we are ready to provide troops to help protect shipping, as long as there is no risk of conflict,” he said.
New threats from Tehran against Israel
Amid the dispute between the allies, Iran’s military leadership again issued threats against Israel. Iranian Chief of Staff Ali Abdollahi was responding to a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that one of the two sides must destroy the other.
“This is nothing new. It is clear that we will certainly destroy them,” Ali Abdollahi said.Majid Mousavi, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force, said that if necessary, Iran would attack all Israeli capabilities in the region and beyond. According to him, Israel would be left with “only defeat and retreat”.
Iranian media also circulated videos presented as footage from a new underground “missile city”. It is unclear when the images were recorded, and information about Iran’s military facilities and missile capabilities cannot be independently verified.
Berlin warns against attempts to divide the West
Germany warned Iran that hybrid attacks would not divide Western allies. Berlin’s position was stated at a time when the United States is urging European countries to take greater responsibility for security in the region, while Tehran is escalating its rhetoric against Israel.
In Paris, the G7 foreign ministers also discussed support for Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha spoke with Rubio about negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, energy resilience and defence cooperation.
Sources: bta.bg