Rubio: No deadline for Iran talks, military strikes remain an option

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that President Donald Trump had not established a deadline for negotiations with Iran and had made no decision on whether to resume military strikes against the Islamic Republic. Speaking to reporters following a G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, Rubio emphasized that Washington preferred a diplomatic resolution but remained deeply concerned about Iran's nuclear ambitions and threats to international shipping.

Asked how long the administration would allow Qatari-backed negotiations to continue before considering renewed military action, Rubio condemned Iran's attacks on commercial vessels. "Well, I mean, the message is simple. Iran is blowing up ships, including ships that have, for example, Indian sailors on them, including ships that have energy that’s destined for countries represented at that table. We live in a world in which a country is openly - a regime is openly - saying: We will blow up commercial ships.

Think about that, okay? Think about the world we now live in. It sounds like something from a hundred years ago or 80 years ago. It’s happening, and every country there is challenged," he said. Rubio explained that diplomatic contacts had continued throughout the conflict, both directly and through intermediaries, and that any decision regarding their duration rested with Trump. "As far as the talks are concerned, I don’t know if there’s a time frame.

It’s up to the President to make decisions with regards to those sorts of things," he said. The Secretary of State added that Trump's preference was to resolve international disputes peacefully whenever possible, while acknowledging that some conflicts could not be settled through diplomacy alone. He stressed that any agreement with Tehran would have to address Washington's fundamental security concerns, particularly Iran's nuclear program and its destabilizing activities across the Middle East.

Rubio said a diplomatic settlement could not be one that "endangers our national security or one that doesn’t meet our core concerns that we have that brought us into that in the first place." He also warned that Iran had demonstrated ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons, something the United States would not permit. Questioned about the administration's confidence in its ability to conduct a short military campaign against Iran, Rubio declined to discuss potential operations or suggest that a decision had already been reached.

"First of all, I’m not going to comment about what the US may or may not do militarily," he said, emphasizing that the United States possessed the capabilities necessary to accomplish its military objectives. Rubio reiterated that Trump had not authorized renewed strikes and would prefer to avoid further military action. "He hasn’t made a decision. I have no announcement in that regard with you today, and nor do we take any of it lightly," Rubio said.

He added that the President's confidence in the American military did not change his preference for a negotiated settlement. The remarks came amid reports of progress in US-Iran diplomatic discussions in Qatar. According to those reports, an American delegation was expected to meet Iranian representatives in Doha following preliminary understandings concerning Iran's nuclear program, navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and possible economic incentives for Tehran.

At the same time, the White House continued reviewing military options. On Thursday, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), personally briefed Trump on possible operations against Iran. On Friday, Trump told reporters that Iran was seeking negotiations while facing financial difficulties. "There are talks. They want to talk. They keep talking. They're not paying their soldiers. They're not paying their police. They're in a lot of trouble," Trump said.

The President also suggested that Washington was not under immediate pressure to bring the conflict to an end. "We have time, frankly. It's a war, but it is not a typical war."