US Secretary of State Rubio says Iran has "completely lost" control of the Strait of Hormuz

Rubio and Greek Foreign Minister Yorgos Ierapetritis, who paid an official visit to Athens, the capital of Greece, spoke at the joint press conference held after their bilateral meeting.

Stating that the USA and Greece share a deep-rooted history based on friendship, partnership and alliance, Rubio said, "In fact, the importance of this historical alliance becomes even more evident with the instability we see in today's world as a result of the conflicts between Iran and Hormuz, Yemen and the Red Sea or between Ukraine and Russia." he said.

Expressing their gratitude for Greece continuing to be a "great ally" and sharing a common understanding, Rubio said, "For example, one thing we agree on is this. European nations must shoulder a greater burden in defending their continent, and Greece is doing exactly that." he said.

Stating that Greece is an important ally on issues such as border security, mass migration and the fight against criminal organizations, Rubio said, "As part of our efforts to combat these common threats to our nations, we are proud to announce a new memorandum of understanding to create a common security program that will strengthen information sharing in the fight against terrorism between our relevant law enforcement agencies." he said.

Referring to the "Vertical Gas Corridor" project, which aims to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) brought from the USA to the Balkans and Central Europe through terminals in Greece, Rubio stated that they aim to build new gas and electricity connection lines that will strengthen regional energy security and energy infrastructure by increasing LNG imports.

Rubio drew attention to Greece's NATO allyship

Rubio said, "Greece is a real, strong and exemplary NATO ally. (Greece) is a country that understands the importance of burden sharing. It is also a country that is willing to work together with all member states against critical threats, beyond military operations." made his assessment.

In his answer to the question about the power line project with Greece, the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus and Israel, Rubio stated that energy security, as well as cooperation in the field of security, is linked to national security, and that the interruption of the energy flow in any part of the world could pose a threat on a global scale.

Pointing out that the USA supports the development of different routes for energy supply, Rubio said that Greece is an important partner for Washington in this field.

Noting that the USA remains committed to the success of these energy projects and its partnership with Greece in the field of energy security, Rubio stated that this partnership serves the national interests of the two countries and contributes to global security.

"Iran will never have nuclear weapons"

Speaking about Iran, Rubio said, "Iran will never have nuclear weapons, period. They will not have this as long as President Donald Trump is in office, and this is the red line for us." he said.

Rubio noted that Tehran has not taken advantage of many opportunities to reach an agreement on this issue in the past.

Arguing that Iran is trying to build a large conventional military capacity that will make it "untouchable", Rubio claimed that Tehran aims to deter possible interventions in its nuclear program by strengthening its missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capacity.

Rubio argued that Iran's UAV program, production capacity and missile capacity have been destroyed and its existing launch systems have been weakened, and stated that the country is much weaker militarily today than in the past.

Saying that Iran is facing "severe sanctions", Rubio argued that this country's economy is "in decline".

Stating that the Strait of Hormuz is open and the amount of oil passing through it is approaching pre-conflict levels, Rubio claimed that Iran has "completely lost" control over the Strait.

Rubio claimed that the Iranian government was spending its resources on armed groups instead of improving the living conditions of the people.