US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the Iran war is expected to “conclude in weeks, not months", asserting that progress is “going very well".
Rubio said Washington can achieve its objectives without deploying ground troops and does not anticipate a prolonged conflict.
Speaking after talks with his G7 counterparts in Paris, Rubio said the war would leave Iran significantly weakened.
“When we are done with them here in the next couple of weeks, they will be weaker than they’ve been in recent history,” he told reporters.
Despite the ongoing war in the Gulf and Lebanon, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said indirect talks with Iran are progressing.
Rubio confirmed that the United States has not yet received a formal response from Tehran to a 15-point proposal aimed at resolving the crisis, but said there have been “exchanges of messages and indications” suggesting a willingness to engage, with further clarification still awaited.
Rubio warned that Iran may consider implementing a “tolling system” in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, adding that he had secured support from G7 allies to oppose such a move.
“Not only is this illegal, but it’s also unacceptable, it’s dangerous to the world, and it’s important that the world have a plan to confront it,” he said.
