Rubio Sets Nuclear Red Line in Athens, Cites Strait Disruption

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in Athens on October 7 that any agreement with Iran must ensure the country never obtains a nuclear weapon, while declining to say what level of uranium enrichment Washington might accept. He also described Iran’s economy as nearing collapse and said the country had lost control of the Strait of Hormuz, claims that were not independently verified in the available reporting. Rubio made the remarks while meeting Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis during the sixth U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue. He said preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon was a firm U.S. position and that any acceptable agreement would have to provide that assurance. Asked about possible limits on Iranian enrichment, he did not specify what Washington might accept. On the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio said oil shipments had recovered to levels close to those before the conflict began, and argued that Iran no longer had complete control of the waterway. The strait is a major route for global oil shipments. However, traffic remains disrupted, and Iran has said full reopening depends on Washington meeting conditions set by Tehran.