Washington (TDI): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said further American military action against Iran is unnecessary, arguing that economic pressure has significantly weakened the Islamic Republic and reduced the need for additional military strikes.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Federalist Society on Friday, Rubio said the economic pressure being imposed on Tehran was severe enough to achieve US objectives without further military intervention.
“The economic pain that we are inflicting on that regime is so great that there’s no need for military action because we’ve weakened them so much,” Rubio said.
He added that Washington’s ultimate victory would be ensuring that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons.
Rubio’s remarks reinforced US President Donald Trump’s statement earlier this week that the war was “militarily effectively over,” suggesting that Washington currently sees economic pressure as a more effective instrument than further military escalation.
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However, Rubio acknowledged that the conflict has also imposed significant economic costs on Americans, particularly through rising fuel prices and disruptions across global economic sectors.
He said Trump could have ignored Iran’s nuclear programme and left the challenge for a future administration but had instead decided to address the threat.
Rubio acknowledged that the decision had brought economic difficulties, saying the administration recognised the hardships experienced by Americans.
Meanwhile, the US military said it intercepted two Iranian attack drones heading towards Bahrain on Friday, rejecting Tehran’s claim that it had successfully struck an American radar installation in the Gulf kingdom.
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The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the interception caused no injuries or damage.
Iran’s official IRNA news agency, citing a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that the alleged attack on the radar facility was carried out in response to a US strike on a telecommunications pole in the southern Iranian port of Sirik. It was Iran’s first reported claim of targeting a facility in Bahrain since September.
