Manila: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has asserted that Iran is "paying the price" for its recurrent failures to honor agreements with Washington. Speaking on Thursday in the Philippines at the ASEAN meeting, Rubio emphasized that Iran's actions have consequences. "These people make deals and then they break it almost immediately or they decide, Oh, let's change the deal. That's not how deals work," he remarked to reporters.
According to TRTworld.com, Rubio expressed that Iran's leadership was not prepared to make a deal and repeatedly reneged on agreements. He claimed that Tehran was "begging" to resume negotiations with Washington and suggested that Iran would eventually return to the table due to the high costs it is incurring. Rubio referred to President Donald Trump's strategy as "a head for an eye," indicating that the ramifications for Iran would continue to escalate until they reconsidered their stance.
Rubio also addressed Yemen's Houthi faction, urging them to abstain from further involvement in the regional conflict. He suggested that the Houthis had been misled by Tehran into engaging in the war. "I hope that they'll stop. They shouldn't really do that. They got suckered into this by the Iranians," Rubio stated, noting that the Houthis had previously managed to avoid deeper entanglement in the conflict.
Furthermore, Rubio mentioned the United States' readiness to play a "constructive role" in resolving the war in Ukraine, following discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting. He conveyed President Donald Trump's willingness to help facilitate an end to what he described as a "senseless war" if an opportunity presented itself.
Rubio highlighted the toll that the war in Ukraine has taken, referencing civilian casualties and Russian attacks on Kiev. He acknowledged that both Russia and Ukraine have reasons to seek an end to the conflict, though finding a mutually acceptable settlement remains a challenge. "I think it is a very bloody war," Rubio stated, emphasizing the importance of both sides having an incentive to resolve the war.
