United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iran against attacking in response to US strikes. He said this in a commentary on Fox News on 22 June.
According to him, a possible attack would be “the worst mistake they (Iran – ed.) have ever contemplated.”
In addition, Rubio said, Iran should not try to close the Strait of Hormuz – a move he called “economic suicide.”
The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, carries about 20 per cent of the world’s oil consumption every day. Rubio said a possible attempt to close the strait would be answered not only by the US but also by other countries. The secretary of state, he said, has contacted Beijing to ask them to influence Tehran not to try to stop traffic through the strait.
Rubio said the US does not plan a military operation against Iran and sees an opportunity to continue negotiations with Tehran. He called the goals of the strikes on nuclear facilities achieved:
“They had everything they needed to build nuclear weapons. Now they don’t.”
Earlier, NBC News reported that Washington fears an attempted retaliatory strike by Tehran within the next two days. To close the strait, as the Iranian service of Radio Liberty reports with reference to local media, the unicameral parliament of Iran Majlis demands from the government.
The US military attacked three key sites of Iran’s nuclear programme – in Fordow, Natang and Isfahan – on the night of June 22. Iranian authorities confirmed the attacks on the sites and said the Fordow facility had been evacuated due to the high probability of strikes. There is no independent confirmation yet of the extent of the destruction at Iran’s nuclear facilities following the strike.