Rubio says no need for major combat operations against Iran given US economic campaign
USO•Secretary of State Marco Rubio said US sanctions and a naval blockade are inflicting growing economic pain on Iran, so President Donald Trump does not need to conduct major combat operations. A person familiar with the thinking said some Trump advisers favor economic pressure, while Vice President JD Vance prefers a deal.
1. Economic pressure on Iran
Rubio told G7 allies that US sanctions and a naval blockade are working so well that Trump does not need to conduct major combat operations against Iran. He said the economic pain is “extraordinary” and growing, and argued that avoiding military strikes is not a stalemate if economic pressure achieves the same objective.
2. Advisers’ views
A person familiar with the thinking said White House chief of staff Stephen Miller and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent favor economic pressure over military strikes. The person said Vance prefers a deal with Iran, while Trump is currently convinced a tenable deal is not possible.
3. Sanctions and blockade
The US has maintained sanctions against Iran for decades, targeting oil revenue, weapons components and funding for business enterprises controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran has weathered the sanctions, but the naval blockade imposed by the US has inflicted severe economic damage, the article said.
