By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
ATLANTA — President Donald Trump has not decided whether to resume American military strikes against Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday, Oct. 31, emphasizing that the administration remains open to a diplomatic resolution despite stalled negotiations and escalating tensions across the Middle East.
Speaking at a news conference following the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, Rubio said the United States possesses the military capabilities necessary to carry out additional operations against Iran but that the president has not authorized renewed attacks.
“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 Agence France-Presse reporting on the G20 meeting.
The secretary of state stressed that Trump would prefer to resolve the confrontation through negotiations, although military action remains an option if diplomatic efforts fail.
“The president prefers to solve it diplomatically,” Rubio said.
The comments followed speculation about whether the White House might authorize further military operations after Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections. Trump has previously warned that additional attacks remain possible if Iran refuses to address American concerns.
Rubio declined to provide a timeline for reaching an agreement, explaining that discussions involving Tehran have continued through several diplomatic channels.
“There are multiple talks. Talks have actually never stopped,” Rubio said during the news conference. He explained that some communications have occurred directly, while others have been conducted through intermediaries.
Qatar has played a role in facilitating discussions between Washington and Tehran, according to reporting by The National on Saturday’s diplomatic exchanges.
Rubio emphasized that the administration would consider an agreement that addressed American security concerns, particularly Iran’s nuclear activities and support for armed organizations operating throughout the region.
“If there is a diplomatic solution, we would be open to it,” he said.
However, he cautioned that an agreement could not compromise U.S. national security or leave unresolved the issues that contributed to the confrontation.
The secretary of state identified Iran’s nuclear ambitions as a central concern, arguing that the country must not be permitted to develop nuclear weapons.
He also accused Tehran of contributing to instability in several Middle Eastern countries through its relationships with Hezbollah, the Houthis and armed militias operating in Iraq.
“This is also a country and a regime that is at the center of all the instability in the Middle East,” Rubio said earlier. “In Lebanon there is instability because they support Hezbollah. In Saudi Arabia they are under attack because Iran supports the Houthis. In Iraq, is a country that is feeling challenged because Iranian-backed militias are challenging the state there. So anywhere you turn what you find is some Iranian proxy that’s undermining the peace and stability of the Middle East. That is a fundamental threat that we have to confront, on top of the fact that they want nuclear weapons.”
Iran has long provided financial, military and political support to armed organizations across the Middle East, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi movement in Yemen.
The United States has designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization, while the Houthis have conducted attacks involving commercial shipping and regional infrastructure.
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have also been involved in confrontations with American forces and disputes over the authority of the Iraqi government.
Rubio argued that Iran’s regional activities demonstrate the dangers Washington believes would accompany the development of Iranian nuclear weapons.
“This is a regime that has massacred its own people,” he added. “You could only imagine what it would do to others if it possessed weapons of mass destruction, which will never be allowed to happen as long as President Trump is in the White House.”
The Iranian government maintains that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes and denies seeking nuclear weapons. Washington disputes that position, citing Iran’s nuclear enrichment activities and concerns about the potential military applications of its program.
The secretary of state also criticized Iranian threats against commercial vessels and energy facilities in the Persian Gulf, warning that disruptions could have consequences extending far beyond the Middle East.
Rubio said Tehran had threatened to attack shipping and regional energy infrastructure if its demands were not met.
“What the Iranian regime is basically arguing is, ‘Unless we get what we want, not only will we blow up ships but we will destroy the energy infrastructure of our neighbors and the entire region,’” Rubio said, according to the account of his remarks published by The Times of Israel.
“Just think about that because I think we just skip over that like it’s some normal behavior.”
The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, remains a central concern for international energy markets because of the substantial volume of oil and natural gas transported through the passage.
Any renewed conflict threatening commercial navigation could disrupt international shipping, increase energy costs and complicate diplomatic efforts to reduce regional tensions.
European officials have expressed concern about the possibility of additional American military action.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for negotiations rather than further escalation during remarks Thursday.
“We are calling for a diplomatic solution, and really, escalation does not benefit anyone,” Kallas told AFP.
Iran’s leadership has also warned Washington and Israel against launching additional attacks, raising concerns that renewed military operations could trigger retaliation against American forces, neighboring countries or civilian infrastructure.
The dispute was among several major international security issues discussed during the two-day G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta.
The gathering also addressed Russia’s war in Ukraine, international trade, critical mineral supplies and maritime security.
According to Associated Press coverage of the meeting, foreign ministers concluded their discussions without reaching consensus on several major geopolitical disputes, resulting in a chairman’s statement rather than a joint communique.
Disagreements involving Russia and the conflict with Iran complicated efforts to produce a unified position among participating governments.
Rubio defended the importance of continuing diplomatic engagement even when countries have substantial disagreements, arguing that negotiated settlements require communication between opposing parties.
Regarding Iran, he reiterated that the White House has not established a public deadline for diplomatic talks and that decisions about further military action remain with Trump.
The secretary of state also emphasized that maintaining a military option does not mean the administration has decided to use it.
His comments leave open the possibility of continued negotiations while Washington evaluates Iran’s nuclear activities, regional military relationships and threats against international shipping.
No announcement of renewed American strikes was made during Saturday’s news conference.
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