U.S. Secretary of State: "No Need for Large-Scale Military Operations Against Iran"

"Achieving Objectives Through Economic Pressure"

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday (local time) that there was no need to resume large-scale military operations against Iran for the time being. He believes the United States can achieve its objectives without further military action, as U.S. economic sanctions and a naval blockade are severely damaging Iran's economy.

According to AFP and other foreign media outlets, after a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers in Paris, France, Rubio told reporters, "The economic pressure on Iran is having a very destructive effect, so there is no need to conduct large-scale combat operations right now," adding, "I explained this to our allies today as well."

He continued, "President Donald Trump has concluded that large-scale combat operations are not necessary at this point," explaining, "because we are achieving the same objectives through economic means."

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rubio stressed that the U.S. naval blockade has severely disrupted Iran's oil exports. "Iran has never been unable to sell oil on the international energy market to the extent it is now," he said. "The pain inflicted on the Iranian economy is growing by the day."

He predicted that Iran would eventually be unable to withstand the economic pressure and would come to the negotiating table. However, he said Iran's government was not currently approaching negotiations realistically, adding, "The Iranian regime will eventually recognize economic reality."

The United States has also left open the possibility of resuming military operations against Iran. Rubio warned that "the U.S. military is prepared to respond" if Iran crosses the U.S. "red line," and that Iran would pay a "terrible price."

His remarks came after President Trump said the previous day that, at the request of Middle Eastern countries, he would suspend further military strikes against Iran for the time being. They show that the Trump Administration is currently prioritizing pressure through economic sanctions and a naval blockade over military escalation.

Iran countered that economic pressure alone cannot resolve the conflict. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, "The conflict with Iran cannot be resolved through military means or tighter sanctions," adding, "The only solution is to engage in diplomacy based on mutual respect and consider Iran's demands."

European allies attending the G7 meeting also told the United States that it should avoid escalating the conflict with Iran. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said, "We need to move beyond a stalemate that is neither war nor peace," expressing concern that the current situation is placing a serious burden on economies around the world.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.