Rubio: Iran Demands Set Wrong Precedent07/22 06:07

   U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Asian leaders Wednesday that 
Iran's demand to control and collect tolls in the Strait of Hormuz would 
threaten the world's economy and set a precedent that could be repeated 
elsewhere in the world.

   MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Asian 
leaders Wednesday that Iran's demand to control and collect tolls in the Strait 
of Hormuz would threaten the world's economy and set a precedent that could be 
repeated elsewhere in the world.

   Rubio spoke at the start of an annual meeting in the Philippine capital, 
Manila, with counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations who 
have expressed alarm over the resurgent war in the Middle East that has 
battered their region. Despite Washington's preoccupation with the war, Rubio 
said "we're with ASEAN 100%."

   "If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation state can decide 
that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll and if 
you don't pay them, blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous 
precedent which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in 
this region," he said.

   Washington's top diplomat also renewed allegations that Iran has reneged on 
commitments under a failed peace deal. Rubio said Iran "has been reaching out 
to the United States, both directly and indirectly, to engage in talks about 
settling the differences," but gave no indication that the U.S. was considering 
returning to peace talks with Iran.

   Top diplomats from the U.S., China, Russia and several other countries are 
in Manila this week to take part in at the ASEAN ministerial gathering. Newly 
minted British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband was arriving Wednesday, his office 
said.

   Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, told reporters that Moscow would 
like to see a quick settlement between the U.S. and Iran.

   "There are those eager to incite each party to keep the conflict going, but 
we aren't one of those," he said.

   "We would like to see it stop -- it impacts the global economy and Russia is 
part of the global economy," Lavrov said, adding that Moscow is "interested in 
stable global energy prices to pursue long-term economic policies."

   Southeast Asia hit hard by energy shock from Iran war

   Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong underscored her country's concern 
over the renewed war in the Middle East, warning that "the situation could 
deteriorate further without much warning."

   "We want to see an end to this war. We want to see a ceasefire. We want to 
see negotiations and we want the strait to be opened," Wong told reporters.

   "People are being affected by what is happening and has happened to global 
energy markets and the effect on people has been direct and personal," she said.

   Overreliance on fossil fuel imports from the Middle East has made Southeast 
Asia particularly vulnerable to the energy shock triggered by the Iran war, 
according to the International Energy Agency, which called the crisis a "stark 
wake-up call" for the region's energy security.

   Asian markets imported about 80% of the crude oil and almost 90% of the 
liquefied natural gas, or LNG, transiting through the Strait of Hormuz in 2025, 
the IEA said.

   Rubio and allies reaffirm commitment to counter growing Chinese influence

   Rubio also met with counterparts in the four-nation Quad partnership, which 
is made up of the U.S., Australia, India and Japan. They discussed maritime and 
transnational security, among other issues, and issued a joint statement after 
the talks that reaffirmed their commitment to maritime security initiatives 
that seek to counter China's growing influence in the region.

   During the meeting, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi voiced 
strong opposition to any attempts to change the status quo by force in the 
region, including in the disputed South China Sea and East China Sea, where 
China's increasingly aggressive actions have sparked concern.

   Tokyo has a long-running dispute over Japan-controlled islands, which 
Beijing also claims, in the East China Sea.

   Wong echoed his concern, saying "we have real concerns about behavior that 
is destabilizing and risky."

   The Trump administration has repeatedly criticized China's assertive actions 
in the South China Sea to the disadvantage of smaller claimant countries like 
the Philippines, Washington's oldest treaty ally in Asia.

   The territorial disputes, which also involve Taiwan and ASEAN members 
Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, are high on the agenda of the talks.

   ASEAN foreign ministers discussed the disputes on Tuesday, welcoming 
progress in yearslong negotiations between China and their regional bloc on a 
proposed non-aggression pact that aims to prevent a major conflict in the 
disputed waters that could draw in the United States.

   A new altercation on Monday between Chinese and Filipino forces in a 
disputed shoal renewed concerns and prompted Philippine President Ferdinand 
Marcos Jr. to summon the Chinese ambassador in Manila.

   "We reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise 
self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate 
disputes and affect peace and stability and avoid actions that may further 
complicate the situation," the regional bloc's ministers said in a draft joint 
statement.

   Rubio also met with his Indian counterpart, External Affairs Minister 
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on the sidelines of the Manila meetings, where they 
discussed both regional issues and the Iran war, according to a U.S. State 
Department spokesperson, along with a yet-to-be completed trade agreement to 
lower U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on Indian goods.

   Rubio met separately with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in a tightly 
secured convention complex by Manila Bay.

   Lavrov said he will meet with Rubio in Manila on Thursday, and will ask him 
about Trump's claim that a settlement on the Ukraine war is getting close.