Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Sunday that the United States remains open to diplomatic efforts with Iran. This announcement comes as U.S. forces intensify their military campaign with nine consecutive nights of strikes in Iran.

Rubio, addressing reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, expressed willingness to continue attempts at diplomacy. We’ve tried multiple times with Iran, and we’ll continue to try. If that door opens, we’ll be happy to see it open, he said before traveling to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Manila. However, he emphasized the necessity for a change in Iran’s behavior for any shift in U.S. actions.

Despite ongoing hostilities, Rubio mentioned that Iran has signaled a willingness to negotiate with the United States. This has been conveyed both directly and through intermediaries, although he did not provide further details. There is currently no public indication of diplomatic progress as both nations continue to escalate attacks, and hope for conflict de-escalation remains unclear.

According to Rubio, Iran’s actions, specifically launching missiles and drones at ships, have prompted a U.S. response. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps reported two oil tankers being ‘exploded and were forced to cease movement’ after attempting a passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a route Tehran had previously advised against.

The Guards did not explicitly claim responsibility for the strikes, yet tension increased with a British naval monitoring agency reporting a vessel on fire off the coast of Oman. These strikes on commercial vessels in the strait instigated a cycle of attacks over the week. As the conflict grows, both Iran and the United States assert control over the waterway, crucial for global oil transport.

Rubio clarified that Iran’s attacks on ships breached a memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran in June. Iran interprets this agreement as granting it exclusive rights to dictate maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz, leading it to target vessels choosing alternative paths adjacent to Oman.

When questioned about former President Trump’s abandoned plan to impose a fee for guiding ships through the strait, Rubio urged international involvement. He asserted that it’s not the United States’ job to protect shipping for the entire planet forever. He called for other nations to contribute either through hardware or financial means to share this responsibility.

Reporter Yan Zhuang contributes breaking news coverage from Seoul.