Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that President Donald Trump sees “no need for major combat operations” against Iran as the administration’s sweeping economic offensive and naval blockade devastate the Islamic Republic’s economy.
Speaking to reporters following two days of meetings with G7 foreign ministers in Paris, Rubio said he had informed America’s allies that Washington was achieving its objectives through economic pressure, while warning that U.S. forces remained prepared to strike if Tehran crossed American red lines.
“The President has concluded that for the time being there is no need for major combat operations because we’re achieving the same objective by economic means,” Rubio said.
Rubio’s declaration followed Trump’s assessment Monday that the conflict with Iran was effectively over militarily and that additional strikes appeared unnecessary, although the president stressed that American forces remained “locked and loaded” should circumstances change.
The president had been weighing whether to authorize another round of strikes against Iran or continue tightening the economic blockade, following a national security briefing last week outlining the administration’s military and economic options.
Although Trump described the administration’s approach Monday as maintaining the “status quo,” Rubio rejected suggestions Tuesday that holding off on further strikes meant accepting a stalemate.
“No, not status quo. The economic pressure is going to get even worse,” Rubio said.
The administration’s economic offensive is anchored by a U.S. naval blockade that has strangled Iran’s oil exports, depriving Tehran of its principal source of revenue while allowing other Gulf producers to continue shipping crude through the Strait of Hormuz.
In late August, Trump launched Operation Economic Outcast, directing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to lead a sweeping financial offensive aimed at severing Tehran’s remaining economic lifelines, dismantling sanctions-evasion networks, and depriving the regime of revenue needed to rebuild its military and finance terrorist proxies.
Rubio noted that Iran was rapidly exhausting its last remaining oil shipments, which left its ports during a brief ceasefire earlier in the conflict, and that once those cargoes are depleted, the regime will lose its remaining oil revenue.
“Once that dries up, almost all of their oil revenue will dry up,” he said.
At the same time, Bessent’s Treasury Department is working with American intelligence agencies to close the remaining channels Tehran uses to evade sanctions, further isolating the regime from international financial markets.
With Iran’s oil revenue drying up and sanctions-evasion channels closing, Rubio said the financial damage was intensifying.
“The economic pain that is being inflicted on Iran right now and on that regime is extraordinary and it compounds. It’s growing every day,” he said.
The administration is seeking to deprive Tehran of the resources needed to rebuild its military, advance its nuclear ambitions, and finance terrorist organizations and regional proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
Rubio warned that the mounting financial pressure would eventually leave the regime struggling to pay its own fighters and security forces, threatening the apparatus Tehran relies on to maintain its grip on power.
Washington is now extending its campaign beyond Iran’s maritime trade routes, targeting overland networks and Caspian Sea channels Tehran could use to move weapons components, sanctioned materials, and illicit revenue.
On Saturday, U.S. Central Command announced Task Force Iron Gate, an interagency initiative coordinating efforts to disrupt those routes and further restrict Tehran’s ability to replenish its military capabilities or evade American sanctions.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tuesday that he had discussed efforts to counter the American initiative with Russia’s ambassador to Tehran, including possible cooperation to circumvent U.S. restrictions in the Caspian Sea.
While Washington intensifies its economic offensive, diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement with Tehran are continuing, although Rubio said the regime’s demands remain a major obstacle.
Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, met with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Monday before traveling to Paris, where he joined discussions with European and regional officials over efforts to avert renewed military escalation.
Rubio acknowledged the mediation efforts but dismissed Tehran’s current negotiating position as unserious.
“Iran would love a deal. The problem is the conditions they continue to place are absurd. Like, they’re not even serious right now,” he said.
Tehran has demanded the lifting of American sanctions and the naval blockade, the release of frozen assets, and compensation for damage sustained during the conflict, conditions Washington has rejected.
“Iran is demanding reparations. They should be the ones paying reparations,” Rubio said.
Tehran also sought to project military strength Tuesday, releasing footage of what the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described as a new underground missile facility amid renewed threats against the United States.
Iranian state media showed senior commanders touring the complex as Armed Forces Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi warned that any renewed American attack would trigger retaliation extending beyond the Middle East.
Rubio warned that Iran would face devastating American military strikes if it crossed Washington’s red lines, stressing that the administration’s decision to rely on economic pressure did not diminish its ability to resume military operations.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
