US Secretary of State Rubio warns Iran control of Hormuz would set dangerous precedent

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that "Iran does not have, under any existing legal mechanism, the right to control the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz," noting that "the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation is at stake."

Rubio, speaking in his opening remarks at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, Philippines, warned that allowing Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz would set a "dangerous precedent."

He added in his speech that "if this principle is threatened, the global economy will be at risk, as will the rules that have governed international trade and commerce for the past 150 years."

The US Secretary of State affirmed that his country remains ready to negotiate an end to the crisis with Iran, but noted that Tehran has not yet engaged seriously in the talks.

Rubio's remarks come as escalating conflict disrupts 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, in an effort to salvage the temporary truce agreement signed between the United States and Iran in June, which replaced an earlier deal reached in April.