Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated Tuesday that the United States can envision an end to the ongoing conflict with Iran, now entering its fifth week, while suggesting Washington may need to reassess its NATO partnerships following the war.
During an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity” program, Rubio stated: “We can see the finish line. It’s not today, it’s not tomorrow, but it is coming.”
The conflict commenced February 28 when American and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes against Iran. In response, Tehran retaliated with attacks targeting Israel and Gulf nations hosting U.S. military installations.
Combined American-Israeli military operations in Iran, along with Israeli strikes in Lebanon, have resulted in thousands of casualties and displaced millions of people. The warfare has also driven up petroleum prices and created instability in international markets.
According to Rubio, diplomatic communications are occurring between Iranian and American officials, with possibilities for face-to-face negotiations in the future.
“There are messages being exchanged, there are talks going on. There is the potential for direct meeting at some point,” Rubio explained.
President Donald Trump, who has provided varying timelines and goals for the military campaign – from removing Iran’s government to reducing its military capabilities and regional power – announced Tuesday that U.S. combat operations could conclude within two to three weeks.
The Secretary of State also indicated that America will need to reevaluate its NATO relationships once the Iranian conflict ends.
“Ultimately, that’s a decision for the president to make, and he’ll have to make it,” Rubio noted.
He continued: “But I do think, unfortunately, we are going to have to reexamine whether or not this alliance that has served this country well for a while is still serving that purpose, or has it now become a one-way street where America is simply in a position to defend Europe, but when we need the help of our allies, they’re going to deny us basing rights, and they’re going to deny us overflight.”
European leadership has declined participation in offensive military actions against Iran.
