US presses China over Iran support

IANS

Washington

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stepped up pressure on China and Russia over the strait crisis, warning countries helping Iran evade sanctions could face economic consequences from the US. 

At a White House briefing, Rubio said the Trump administration was preparing a renewed push at the UN while warning Beijing its economic interests were being harmed by Iran’s actions in the Gulf.

“We’re going to the UN,” Rubio said. “We’re going to give it another chance to be a forum in which we’re not even asking people to commit troops to the region. All we’re asking them to do is to condemn it, to remove these mines, and to allow humanitarian relief to come through,” he said.

The secretary described the crisis as a test of the credibility of the UN system. “These guys (Iranians) are bombing commercial vessels,” Rubio said. “They're not bombing naval vessels; they're bombing commercial tankers.”

Rubio warned foreign financial institutions and companies helping Tehran bypass sanctions could face secondary sanctions.

Rubio addressed the growing relationship between Beijing and Tehran. “I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to be told, causing you to be globally isolated,” Rubio said. “That what you were doing in the straits is causing you to be globally isolated.”

The secretary of state argued China's export-driven economy would also suffer if instability in the strait disrupted global trade flows.

“It is in China's interest that Iran stop closing the straits,” he said. “It’s harming China as well.” Rubio defended Tru­mp’s authority to conduct military operations against Iran without congressional approval, calling the War Powers Act “100% unconstitutional”. “That has been the position of every single presidential administration since the day that law passed.”

Rubio said major US military operations against Iran are over — but he stopped short of saying the conflict cannot be rebegun. “Oper­a­tion Epic Fury” “is concluded” as its objectives were met.

Rubio said recent clashes with Iran related to US efforts to reopen the strait were “defensive in nature.” “We’re not cheering for an additional situation to occur,” he said.

“At least 10 sailors have already died as a result.” The sailors come from 87 countries and are innocent bystanders. Further, Rubio described Hezbollah as the main obstacle to lasting peace between Israel and Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Pope Leo called out Trump's misrepresentation of his views on Iran and nuclear weapons. Leo said the Catholic Church “for years has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt there.” 

Trump again accused Leo in an interview of being “OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” Leo has said no such thing, and Catholic Church teaching says the mere possession of nuclear weapons is “immoral.”