Rubio: 'Iran Is Paying the Price for Breaking Deals… Houthi Rebels Are Being Fooled by Iran'

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on the 23rd (local time) that while the United States has upheld the end-of-war agreement with Iran, Iran has continuously violated it and is now paying a heavy price.

Speaking to reporters in Manila, the Philippines, where the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting is being held, Secretary Rubio said, "They (Iran) make an agreement and then almost immediately break it or decide to 'change the terms.' That is not how agreements work."

He added, "That is why they are paying the price right now," predicting that "perhaps over the next few days, they may suffer heavy losses and change their minds."

Regarding Yemen's Houthi rebels attempting to blockade the Red Sea, he said, "For the most part, the Houthi rebels had wisely stayed out of this armed conflict, but now they seem to have been fooled by Iran into attacking Saudi Arabia and Saudi vessels."

He further noted, "I hope the Houthi rebels will de-escalate tensions. Honestly speaking, it seems the Houthis have been tricked by Iran into getting caught up in this."

Concerning China, he mentioned that while he wants a friendly relationship, he will not sacrifice allies.

He added, "We have to engage with China. We want that relationship to be as positive as possible," but emphasized, "We have a role to play and we cannot abandon our allies. We have made this point crystal clear."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.