US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US would continue to deploy its assets to defend freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, reports Reuters.

He insisted the US was taking defensive action in enforcing its blockade of Iranian ports. The initial military operation against Iran was over, he said.

“We are only responding if attacked first. This is a defensive operation,” Rubio said.

He added that the United States has been in touch with a number of ships about moving out of the strait, echoing remarks made earlier by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Rubio said it was time for Tehran to “accept the reality of the situation”, adding that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were continuing to explore a diplomatic solution.

That solution had to address any nuclear material that Iran still had buried “deep somewhere,” Rubio said.