The Zhitong Finance App learned that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that the US is still willing to resolve the Iran issue through negotiations, but Tehran lacks sincerity about dialogue. Meanwhile, escalating conflict has disrupted two of the world's most critical energy transportation routes.
Rubio made the above remarks at the Southeast Asian Foreign Ministers Meeting. The day before, three tankers carrying Saudi crude oil and originally scheduled to sail back to Asia made a U-turn in the Red Sea. Outsiders generally believe this was a response to recent threats from the Houthis in Yemen. The Houthis control the area along the Red Sea outlet and announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on Monday, which could open up a new front for this war. Since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, the conflict has left thousands dead in the Gulf region.
Against the backdrop of Iran threatening to block the Strait of Hormuz (the only port connecting to the Persian Gulf), the Red Sea has become the main alternative channel for Saudi Arabia's daily export of millions of barrels of crude oil.
A senior Iranian official revealed on Monday that Tehran has received a 10-day cease-fire proposal from the mediator aimed at salvaging the temporary cease-fire agreement signed by the US and Iran in June this year, which replaced the cease-fire arrangement previously reached in April. Another sign that diplomatic efforts have not completely stopped is that Iran's Interior Minister Iskander Momeni has visited the mediator Pakistan and asked Islamabad to continue mediating in this regard.
Rubio said Washington “has always been committed to diplomatic channels,” but expressed doubts about whether Tehran takes negotiations just as seriously. “The problem we're facing right now is that they don't take negotiations seriously. If they are serious, we will be serious; if they are not, we will take the necessary measures to protect our interests and those of our allies,” Rubio said in Manila.
With no hope of a diplomatic breakthrough, the US military bombed targets in Iran for the 11th consecutive night on Tuesday. According to Iran's semi-official news agency Fars, Tehran residents said they heard an explosion early on Wednesday morning and Iran immediately activated an air defense system over the capital. Iran's official news agency IRNA reports that explosions were also heard in the southeastern coastal cities of Chabahar and Konarak, and two explosions were reported in Bushehr (where Iran's only nuclear power plant is located).
Earlier, Iran had launched attacks on US military targets in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, and an oil tanker was also attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran claims it hit Amazon's (AMZN.US) infrastructure in Bahrain (where the company operates a regional data center). Amazon did not comment.
Furthermore, the Iranian military issued a statement on the 22nd saying that the Iranian military used a large number of drones to attack the US military camp in Doha in western Kuwait. The targets included ammunition depots and logistics equipment at the ground force command center. The statement pointed out that the Doha military camp is a support center for the US military in West Asia, and a large number of US military personnel and equipment are deployed here.
US President Trump confirmed that 18 US military personnel have died in the war so far, 4 of them died in Iran's attacks on US military bases in Jordan and Iraq in the past few days.
Affected by the Houthis threat, oil prices rose more than 2% on Tuesday, and continued to rise during the Asian trading session on Wednesday. Brent crude oil hovered around 93 US dollars per barrel, and the US gasoline price returned above 4 US dollars per gallon.
“Gate of Tears”
The Houthis threatened in a letter to shipping companies on Tuesday that they would attack any ship that loads Saudi oil. Trump said the Houthis have yet to block the Mander Strait (the “Gate of Tears,” a narrow channel leading to the Red Sea), and warned that if they take action, the US side will fight back. “It hasn't happened yet,” Trump said. “If it does happen, we'll deal with it.”
On Tuesday, three tankers carrying Saudi crude oil and originally scheduled to sail to China and India made a U-turn in the Red Sea and diverted to the Suez Canal instead of venturing through the Red Sea estuary near the Yemeni coast. Throughout the war, Saudi Arabia partially piped oil to the port of Yanbu in the Red Sea to avoid shipping disruptions. However, if the Houthis completely blocks this alternative channel, most Saudi crude oil exports will be trapped, which in turn will affect global oil supply.
On Tuesday, Trump once again threatened to launch an attack on Iran's Natanz nuclear facility “soon” — he claimed it had been “completely destroyed” after the US military bombed the mountain bunker facility in June 2025. Iran vowed revenge at the time. Iran's highest military command agency, the central headquarters in Khatam Ambia, issued a stern warning, saying that if the US attacks Iran's nuclear facilities and other sensitive targets, Tehran will expand the scope of counterattack and attack the interests of the United States and its allies throughout the region.