US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told counterparts in several countries that Washington is not currently expected to begin new attacks against Iran. The administration’s stated approach is to avoid a return to large-scale military operations while applying pressure through other means.
The policy includes naval action, newly announced Treasury Department sanctions and efforts to move as much oil as possible through the Strait of Hormuz and into global energy markets. Rubio described the current approach during phone calls with foreign ministers, according to the reporting cited in the source material.
Military action remains limited
A US official said Rubio had made clear that the United States was not planning to resume major war operations. The official added that the possibility of attacks had not been ruled out if Iran were to strike first.
Another American official said the US Navy’s removal of mines from the Strait of Hormuz represented a decisive point in the conflict. The official said the operation had substantially reduced Iran’s ability to apply pressure.
The reporting also linked the policy to Washington’s view that a naval blockade was constraining Iran while allowing increasing volumes of oil to leave Hormuz. A separate US official said the same strategy was expected to continue at least until the midterm elections. Military operations could be reconsidered after that point, the official said.
Shipping through Hormuz remains below average
Reuters, citing shipping data, reported that five commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The figure was little changed from the previous day but remained considerably lower than the average.
Early data from ship-tracking company Kpler showed that two tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas left the strait. One tanker carrying bitumen also exited, while empty product tankers entered the waterway.
The shipping figures provide a snapshot of the continuing disruption around one of the key routes for oil and other commodities. The policy outlined by Rubio combines efforts to keep that route open with economic measures aimed at increasing pressure on Iran.
For now, the reported position is that Washington will avoid launching additional attacks while retaining the option of responding militarily to an Iranian first strike. The administration is also expected to continue using sanctions, naval measures and the movement of oil through Hormuz as the main elements of its Iran policy.
