U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Wednesday that the United States remains willing to resolve issues with Iran through negotiations, while accusing Tehran of lacking sincerity in dialogue. These remarks were made during a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers, as escalating conflicts have disrupted two of the world's most critical energy transit chokepoints.
This follows reports from the previous day that three oil tankers carrying Saudi crude, originally destined for Asia, turned around in the Red Sea. This move is widely seen as a response to recent threats from the Houthi group in Yemen, which controls coastal areas near the Red Sea's exit. The Houthis announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on Monday, potentially opening a new front in the wider conflict.
Since the U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28, the conflict has resulted in thousands of casualties in the Gulf region. With Iran having previously threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, the only sea passage out of the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea has become Saudi Arabia's primary alternative route for exporting millions of barrels of oil daily.
In a sign that diplomatic efforts are not entirely stalled, an Iranian senior official revealed on Monday that Tehran has received a 10-day ceasefire proposal from mediators, aimed at salvaging the interim truce agreement signed by the U.S. and Iran in June, which replaced an earlier April arrangement. Further evidence of ongoing diplomacy is the visit of Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to mediator Pakistan, where he requested Islamabad to continue its mediation efforts.
Secretary Rubio asserted that Washington remains "committed to the diplomatic path" but expressed doubts about Tehran's commitment to serious talks.
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The question we face now is that they are not serious about negotiations. If they are serious, we will be serious; if they are not, we will take the necessary measures to protect our interests and those of our allies," Rubio said in Manila.
With a diplomatic breakthrough seeming unlikely, U.S. forces conducted an eleventh consecutive night of airstrikes on targets inside Iran on Tuesday. Residents of Tehran reported hearing explosions early Wednesday, leading Iran to activate air defense systems over the capital, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
The official IRNA news agency reported explosions in the southeastern coastal cities of Chabahar and Konarak, and two blasts in Bushehr, the location of Iran's only nuclear power plant. Iran has previously launched attacks on U.S. targets in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, and a tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran claimed it struck infrastructure belonging to Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) in Bahrain, where the company operates a regional data center. Amazon has declined to comment.
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Separately, the Iranian military stated on the 22nd that its forces used numerous drones to strike the U.S. military's Al Doha base in western Kuwait, targeting ammunition depots and logistical equipment at the ground forces command center. The statement noted that the Al Doha base is a support hub for U.S. forces in West Asia, hosting a significant number of personnel and equipment.
U.S. President Trump confirmed that 18 U.S. service members have been killed in the war so far, with four dying in recent days from Iranian attacks on bases in Jordan and Iraq.
Oil prices, already up more than 2% on Tuesday due to Houthi threats, continued to climb during Asian trading on Wednesday. Brent crude hovered near $93 per barrel, while U.S. gasoline prices moved back above $4 per gallon.
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In a letter to shipping firms on Tuesday, the Houthis threatened to attack any vessel loading or unloading Saudi oil. President Trump stated that the Houthis have not yet blockaded the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, also known as the "Gate of Tears," the narrow passage into the Red Sea, and warned that the U.S. would respond if they did.
"That hasn't happened yet," Trump said. "If it does, we'll deal with it."
On Tuesday, the three tankers carrying Saudi crude, originally bound for China and India, turned around in the Red Sea and rerouted towards the Suez Canal, avoiding the risky waters near the Yemeni coast at the sea's entrance. Throughout the conflict, Saudi Arabia has partly relied on pipelines to ship oil to the Red Sea port of Yanbu to avoid shipping disruptions. However, if the Houthis successfully block this alternative route, a major portion of Saudi crude exports could be trapped, impacting global oil supply.
On Tuesday, President Trump again threatened to attack Iran's Natanz nuclear facility "soon." He had previously claimed the facility was "completely destroyed" after U.S. airstrikes on the mountain bunker complex in June 2025, a claim Iran vowed to avenge.
Iran's top military command, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, issued a stern warning that if the U.S. attacks Iranian nuclear facilities or other sensitive targets, Tehran would expand its retaliatory strikes to target U.S. and allied interests across the entire region.
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