Rubio likens Iran's ship attacks to Nazi U-boat tactics, says clerics block deals
Marco Rubio accused Iran of using Nazi-style submarine tactics against commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and said negotiations are hard because the regime is run by radical Shia clerics.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told News18 that Iran’s missile and drone strikes on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz constitute “Nazi U-boat tactics,” deliberately targeting civilian crews and sinking vessels such as the GFS Pride. He emphasized that U.S. naval forces repel the majority of these assaults each night, yet occasional hits have injured crews and killed Indian sailors. Rubio stressed that Iran’s regime is controlled by radical Shia clerics, which he says fundamentally blocks any chance of a deal, and noted that commercial traffic has recovered to about 80-100 % of pre-conflict volumes.
He warned that Tehran diverts oil revenues to terrorism and weapons production, and affirmed that Washington will maintain “extraordinary economic pressure.” The comments came as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned the Strait will stay closed unless the United States meets Tehran’s conditions, amid reports that Iran is dragging out talks to influence the upcoming U.S. midterm elections.
Why it matters
Iran's attacks threaten global oil shipping and highlight diplomatic hurdles with a regime led by hard-line clerics.
In this story
