US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that economic pressure on Iran had become so severe that President Donald Trump saw no immediate need for major combat operations, while warning that Washington remained ready to respond militarily if Tehran escalated. Rubio told reporters after a G-7 meeting that the combination of a blockade and sanctions was squeezing Iran’s oil earnings. He rejected suggestions that the absence of new major strikes amounted to a stalemate, arguing that the economic damage would deepen over time.

 

Rubio said Iran was nearing the exhaustion of its oil supplies already at sea, adding that once these supplies run out, the country’s oil revenues would fall sharply. He also said that the United States was open to negotiations with Iran, but would not accept what he described as unrealistic demands from Tehran. Rubio said Qatar and other countries were continuing mediation efforts to facilitate a possible agreement.

 

Meanwhile, he urged other countries to help protect commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions in the region. On Lebanon, Rubio said Washington was holding direct talks between Lebanon and Israel and working towards arrangements for Israeli troop withdrawals and the deployment of Lebanese armed forces.