US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Iran was placing particular pressure on Washington to reach an agreement ending the fighting.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers in Manila, the Philippines, Rubio said Iran was seeking negotiations through direct and indirect channels.

“Iran is begging us, both directly and indirectly, asking us to make a deal and hold talks,” he said.

Rubio claimed that Iran had repeatedly violated or attempted to revise previous agreements.

“The problem with Iran is that every time it makes an agreement, those running the country break it or try to change it,” he said. “It therefore appears that they are not ready to make a deal. They will continue to pay the price, and that price increases every night.”

Rubio, who is considered a possible candidate to succeed President Donald Trump in the next presidential election, described the Islamic Republic as a country governed by “radical clerics” who were ignoring its economic problems.

“Iran could have been the richest country in the Middle East if it wanted to be,” he said. “Instead, it spends its money on Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and Shiite militias, and finances terrorism in different parts of the world.”

Asked about Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s statement that Tehran would respond according to the principle of “an eye for an eye,” Rubio said Trump’s approach was “a head for an eye.”

He claimed that Iran’s industrial infrastructure was being destroyed, causing damage worth billions of dollars.

Rubio said Washington’s fundamental objective remained preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“Our primary interest is ensuring that these lunatics do not possess a nuclear weapon, and we will not allow that,” he said.

Rubio denied that Russia was assisting Iran with its weapons programmes.

He also said the Houthis in Yemen had been drawn into an Iranian “trap” to target vessels linked to Saudi Arabia and expressed hope that they would stop.

Meanwhile, Washington continued striking targets inside Iran for a 12th consecutive night. A B-1 bomber was used for the first time on Tuesday.

The Houthis also claimed responsibility Thursday for targeting two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The attacks followed their announcement Monday of a naval blockade against Saudi vessels, as global oil prices rose above $98 per barrel.

Jordan’s armed forces said Iran launched four missiles towards the country on Thursday, three of which were intercepted.

Iranian state media also reported that US strikes killed two people at a border crossing with Iraq.