Rubio Defends US War on Iran as Necessary and Says No Breakthrough in Talks
Marco Rubio defended the US war on Iran as necessary to stop a nuclear weapon, saying talks with Tehran are not near a breakthrough.
The update
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Florida on Sunday, before flying to a Group of 7 meeting in Paris, that President Donald Trump launched the war on Iran to stop Tehran pursuing a nuclear weapon. Asked about Vice President JD Vance blaming the war for Republican midterm losses, Rubio said confronting security challenges “isn’t necessarily popular, but necessary”. On negotiations, he said “I wouldn’t say we’re at the verge of a breakthrough”, calling Iran’s demands “not just unacceptable, but in some cases outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic”. He said Trump prefers diplomacy, but Washington would act against a clear threat to shipping or its forces.
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The remarks resist pressure to end the eight-month-old war, which has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a route that carried about one-fifth of the world’s oil. Iran has long said its nuclear programme is peaceful. Rubio’s assessment sits alongside Trump’s comments to CNN on Sunday that renewed strikes are “highly unlikely” if talks produce a strong agreement. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran’s two-day proposal to reopen the strait still stands.
What to watch
Trump meets Qatar’s prime minister at the White House on Monday, with Tehran reviewing Qatari proposals to bridge differences with Washington. Watch for a coordinated G7 position in Paris and whether talks resume after the midterm pause.
Sources
- aljazeera.com — Rubio’s Florida remarks, his no-breakthrough assessment and Araghchi’s response
- jewishnews.com — Jerusalem Post reporting confirming the defence of the war, the stalled talks and the defensive warning
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