US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Sunday accused Iran of attempting to use the Strait of Hormuz as "leverage against the world", urging other countries to shoulder more responsibility for protecting one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes as the conflict between Washington and Tehran intensified.
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Speaking to reporters before departing for the Philippines to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers' meeting, Rubio said the United States would continue safeguarding commercial shipping but called on other nations to contribute resources.
He said, "It's clear that Iran, at least some people in Iran, want to control the straits and hold that as leverage against the world."
Rubio added, "The United States will do and continue to do what it needs to, to protect global shipping, but other countries need to begin to step up and provide, whether it's hardware or finances, to help carry that burden."
His remarks came as the US military's Central Command (Centcom) announced its ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran. Centcom said it targeted "Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and communications networks" as part of its ongoing campaign.
As the strikes unfolded, the British military said a vessel caught fire early Monday in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman. The incident occurred along a shipping route the United States has encouraged commercial vessels to use to reduce the risk of Iranian interference.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later claimed it had targeted tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The regional fallout widened further after Bahrain sounded missile alert sirens on Monday, warning residents of a possible Iranian retaliatory attack following the latest US strikes. Separately, Iran's IRGC claimed it had struck US military targets in Kuwait.
