Rubio says war on Iran was necessary as Trump defends decision amid stalled diplomacy
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said President Donald Trump launched the war against Iran to stop what he described as a real nuclear threat. Speaking in Florida on Sunday, Rubio said Trump had identified a danger that was serious enough to justify military action, even if it was unpopular. He also said Washington was not close to a breakthrough in talks with Tehran.
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Rubio described Iran's negotiating demands as unrealistic and, in some cases, outrageous. He said Trump still prefers a diplomatic solution, but added that the administration sees Tehran's position as unacceptable. The comments came as Trump publicly defended the decision to go to war and rejected suggestions that he regretted it.
Trump said he mostly agreed with Vice President JD Vance, who had linked the war to the Republican Party's heavy defeat in last week's US midterm elections. He said he did not regret the decision and argued it would be remembered as one of the best things the United States had done. Trump also said that if Iran obtained a nuclear weapon, it would pose a global danger.
The remarks underline how the conflict has become tied not only to security policy but also to domestic political fallout in Washington. They also show that the administration is trying to keep military pressure and diplomacy in parallel, even as officials acknowledge that negotiations remain difficult. For Iran, the issue is now both a battlefield question and a test of whether talks can still produce limits on its nuclear programme.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by saying it was time for the White House to make its own decision on the war. He said American voters had already made theirs, referring to the election results, and repeated Tehran's proposal that if demands were met, including an end to war on all fronts, results would follow. He also warned that if war continued, Iran's forces would respond forcefully.
Trump said a strong agreement with Tehran could make further strikes highly unlikely, but he did not say the military option was off the table. He is due to meet Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister at the White House on Monday, a meeting that may be watched closely for signs of movement in the diplomatic track. What remains unclear is whether the two sides can narrow their differences enough to avoid further escalation, and whether any new talks can produce terms both Washington and Tehran will accept.
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