Rubio says Iran has 'completely lost control' of Strait of Hormuz as economy enters 'free fall'

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday (local time) that Iran has "completely lost control" of the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Athens, Greece, Rubio said "the Iranian economy is in complete free fall" and that "the Strait of Hormuz is open and the amount of oil transiting through it is roughly the same as before the conflict began," according to Reuters and AFP.

He went on to say that "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon" and warned that the Iranian economy, hit by crippling sanctions, "will reach a point that very few countries have ever experienced."

Rubio denied claims that the United States had asked third countries to prevent Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado from returning home, saying "the premise of the question is not true."

Rubio met with Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis on Wednesday and announced a new counterterrorism intelligence-sharing framework between the two countries' law enforcement agencies.

"Given the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, a strong partnership with Greece is important," Rubio said, adding that the energy relationship between the two countries "has reached a new level." Gerapetritis said Greece would cooperate with the United States "on maritime support in the Strait of Hormuz if necessary."

In a speech at Pnyx Hill — the site of the ancient Athenian assembly — Rubio drew a connection between the heroic spirit of ancient Greece and his America First philosophy. "The ancient Greeks knew that being loyal to your own nation was not selfish or wrong," he said. "We choose to pursue national power unapologetically."

About 2,000 Greek citizens gathered in central Athens to protest Rubio's visit.

Rubio, who visited Greece after a stop in Iceland, is set to conclude his European tour in Lisbon, Portugal.