US Iran Strikes Decision Still Open, Says Rubio
The US Iran strikes decision remains open, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday, telling reporters that President Donald Trump has not decided whether to order fresh strikes on Iran. Rubio spoke at a G20 foreign ministers meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, as peace talks stayed stalled and diplomats worked to stop a new round of fighting.
“We can achieve military objectives if we seek to. 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, according to AFP. He added that Trump prefers a diplomatic solution, and said the president would rather settle the issue peacefully if a deal can be reached.
Rubio also refused to set a deadline for talks. “I’m not going to characterize neither the progress on those talks nor any timeframe on it, other than to tell you that if there is a diplomatic solution, we would be open to it,” he said. Reuters reported on Saturday that direct and indirect contacts with Iran were under way, and that Iranian negotiators had held talks in Doha with Qatari mediators.
US Iran strikes decision: what Rubio said in Atlanta
Rubio was hosting G20 foreign ministers for a two-day meeting in Atlanta. Reports before his press conference had suggested Trump could act after the US midterm elections on Tuesday. Rubio did not confirm that timing, and he did not rule out military action either.
Rubio also accused Tehran of actively targeting commercial vessels.
What Tehran and the mediators said on Saturday
Iran’s side also signalled that diplomacy was still alive, even as its military warnings stayed sharp. Feature Pakistan reported on Iran’s warning of an unrestricted response and on the Qatari delegation in Tehran.
On Saturday evening, the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, said he had read but not responded to a letter sent to Tehran by US Vice President JD Vance. “Their tone has completely changed,” he told state broadcaster Press TV.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that talks with Qatari mediators had cut the time needed to put Iran’s proposal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz into effect, from five days to two days. He said Iran’s conditions included lifting sanctions, restoring oil waivers, releasing frozen funds and reducing US forces in the region.
The Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary-general, Jasem AlBudaiwi, told the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain that Iran had attacked GCC member states despite those countries not taking part in the war. He said negotiations were “the steadfast option” and called for normal navigation to be restored in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb. Separately, the Iranian Navy said a tanker in a prohibited and unsafe area in the eastern Strait of Hormuz had hit a sea mine and caught fire, according to the Fars News Agency. That claim has not been independently confirmed.
Why the decision matters for Pakistan
Pakistan has a direct stake in whether talks hold. Araghchi said Qatari and Pakistani mediators were continuing consultations on Iran’s conditions. A return to fighting would threaten Hormuz shipping and push up oil prices.
At the same G20 meeting, Rubio also backed Pakistan on a second issue, saying Washington does not want Pakistan to be targeted by terrorism, and backing Islamabad’s complaint about Taliban inaction on attacks launched from Afghanistan. Feature Pakistan reported on Pakistan’s warning to the UN over Taliban repression, and on earlier US warnings about a new Iran operation.
Has Trump decided on new Iran strikes?
No. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Trump “hasn’t made a decision” on further military action, and that he had no announcement to make on the issue.
Does the US prefer diplomacy or strikes?
Rubio said Trump prefers a diplomatic solution and would rather act peacefully, but he also said the US could achieve its military objectives if it chose to act.
Is there a deadline for the Iran talks?
No deadline has been set in public. Rubio refused to characterise the progress of talks or any timeframe, while Reuters reported that direct and indirect contacts with Iran were continuing.
What role are Pakistan and Qatar playing?
Araghchi said Qatari and Pakistani mediators were continuing consultations on Iran’s conditions, and Iranian negotiators held talks in Doha with Qatari mediators on Saturday, according to Reuters.
