US ready to negotiate with Iran, says Secretary of State Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that "the United States remains ready to negotiate an end to the crisis with Iran," but noted that "Tehran has not yet approached the talks seriously."

Speaking in the Philippine capital Manila, Rubio emphasized that "Washington is always committed to diplomacy," but questioned Iran's commitment, saying: "If they are serious, we will be serious. If not, we will do what is necessary to protect our interests and those of our allies."

His remarks come as the escalating conflict continues to disrupt two of the world's most vital energy corridors, amid ongoing mediation efforts. An Iranian senior official told Reuters on Monday that Tehran had received a proposal from mediators for a 10-day ceasefire, aiming to salvage the temporary truce agreement signed between the US and Iran in June, which replaced a previous deal reached in April.

Diplomatic moves and field escalation

Signaling continued diplomatic efforts, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, which is acting as a mediator, and asked Islamabad to continue its efforts in this regard.

Rubio, for his part, stressed the need to prevent Iran from taking control of the Strait of Hormuz, warning that such a move would set a dangerous precedent for the world, including Southeast Asian countries facing territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. He added: "If we set a precedent in the Middle East that allows a nation-state to control an international waterway and impose fees or attack ships, we open the door for this to happen elsewhere."

Amid a lack of tangible diplomatic progress, US forces struck targets across Iran for the eleventh consecutive night on Tuesday. The semi-official Fars news agency reported that residents in Tehran heard explosions in the early hours of Wednesday, while Iran activated its air defenses over the capital.

Explosions and mutual attacks

Meanwhile, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported explosions in the southeastern coastal cities of Chabahar and Konarak, as well as two blasts in Bushehr, home to Iran's only nuclear power plant.

Earlier, Iran had targeted US military sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, and an oil tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran claimed it struck Amazon infrastructure in Bahrain, where the company operates a regional data center, but Amazon did not comment and Reuters could not verify these reports.

In the latest fighting, US President Donald Trump confirmed that 18 American soldiers have been killed so far in the war, including four in recent Iranian attacks on US military bases in Jordan and Iraq.