US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that Washington remains open to negotiating with Iran, but cautioned that Tehran would face "consequences" if it continued to breach its commitments. His remarks came just hours after US forces conducted strikes near Iran's coastline, underscoring the tension between diplomatic overtures and military pressure in the ongoing standoff.

Speaking at the ASEAN Summit in the Philippines, Rubio also addressed shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, saying the US was primarily concerned with whether vessels continued to move through the vital waterway, and downplaying Iranian rhetoric surrounding it. His comments follow a period of heightened confrontation, including reports of ten consecutive nights of US strikes and ongoing debate within the administration over its next steps regarding Iran.