Iranupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 23 January 2025Marco Rubio Says Trump Has Not Decided New Iran Strikes as Talks Stall
“He hasn’t made a decision.”
“Essentially, Washington is preparing for war while keeping a diplomatic channel open.”
Photo: U.S. Department of State / US federal government, Public domain · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Trump has not decided on new Iran strikes amid stalled peace talks. Rubio reiterates no decision yet, warns seriousness of potential action.
Save coverage image
Ynetnews was read line by line by the Watchdog: 6.0. See the score →
No decision on strikes
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump has not decided on new strikes against Iran, even as peace talks remain stalled. Rubio told reporters at a G20 press conference in Atlanta, Georgia, “He hasn’t made a decision,” and he said, “I have no announcement in that regard with you today.”
Haaretz carried a Reuters-based account that said Trump has yet to make a decision on military action against Iran, while also saying Washington is open to a diplomatic solution. Qatar-linked reporting in Israel’s Ynetnews described a possible breakthrough mediated by Qatar, saying “a U.S. delegation will join the talks in Doha to negotiate directly with Iran.”
Diplomacy versus preparation
Washington and Tehran have sent mixed signals about whether their eight-month war is heading back to full-scale strikes or towards a peace deal.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, after being briefed on plans, called the approach “insane” and warned of a devastating escalation.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged diplomacy, saying, “This conflict cannot be resolved by military means,” and he said Germany was working through many channels to intensify diplomatic efforts.
President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House, “There are talks. They want to talk. They keep talking. We have time, frankly,” while other reports described US instructions to Gulf states to prepare for fighting as early as next week.
What is at stake
Vice President JD Vance offered to meet Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, through Qatari mediators, with Iran’s nuclear programme on the table from the start.
Rouzbeh Parsi described Vance as the “voice of reason” on Iran within the Trump administration, while also saying Vance’s signals have been “the least volatile and unpredictable”.
Nader Hashemi said “Rezaei is just one voice among many” and that “decisions are made collectively inside the Islamic republic.”
Washington warned Gulf Arab countries to prepare for a “short, intense military campaign” against Iran after the Nov. 3 US midterm elections, placing pressure on the timing of any diplomatic outcome.