U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Iran is in a significant predicament, noting that President Donald Trump has many options if Tehran does not cooperate.

Following his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Conference in Manila, which lasted about 90 minutes, according to Reuters, Rubio stated that Iran has not adhered to its commitments under the memorandum of understanding, explaining that the opening of the Strait of Hormuz was a key item in the memorandum, but Iran has breached it. He added that Iran is targeting international navigation through an international waterway, pointing out that Tehran signed the memorandum of understanding which stipulates not targeting ships.

He emphasized that Washington defends freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and continues to eliminate Iran's military capabilities that threaten maritime navigation. He stressed that the United States will not accept any country's control over maritime passages.

The U.S. Secretary announced that the United States wishes to reach an agreement with Iran that ensures it does not acquire nuclear weapons.

Rubio considered that China has not changed the course of the Iran war, indicating that nothing Beijing has done has altered the trajectory of the conflict with Iran, and that it has been cooperative at times.

He added that there are areas for potential cooperation between the United States and China, acknowledging that there are disagreements on both sides, but their task is to manage those disagreements. He mentioned that he and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi spoke extensively about the planned visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States.

This month, China called on the United States and Iran to cease fire and resume dialogue. Wang Yi urged all parties to fulfill their commitments and implement the memorandum of understanding related to the ceasefire.

China has adopted a cautious diplomatic approach during the conflict, having condemned the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran, continued to purchase Iranian oil, defying U.S. sanctions, but kept communication channels open with the concerned parties.