US Says Economic Pressure On Iran Is Working, Signals Shift Away From Military Action
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington's economic campaign against Iran is proving effective enough to reduce the need for major military operations. Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers' summit in Paris, Rubio said economic pressure on Tehran would intensify further, while stressing that the US remained open to diplomacy if Iran changed its position.
Economic Pressure Mounts
“I have been told the economic campaign [against Iran] is working so well there's no need for major combat operations,” Rubio told reporters.
He said economic pressure was beginning to affect Iran's ability to finance its nuclear programme, support militant groups and carry out activities that Washington considers a threat to international security.
Referring to Iran's support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Shia militias, as well as its cyber activities and alleged attempts to target individuals overseas, Rubio said all these operations required substantial financial resources.
“The less money they have available to them, the less money they can use to fund their malign and nefarious activities,” he said, adding that economic pressure on Tehran would become even more severe.
US Open To Diplomacy
Rubio said Washington was willing to pursue a diplomatic solution to the conflict but maintained that Iran's current demands were unacceptable.
“The Iranian demands are totally unrealistic. We expect that could change-and if it does, we're prepared for diplomacy,” he said.
He added that the US would not need to carry out further military strikes against Iran if economic measures could achieve the same objectives.
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Gulf Pushes For De-Escalation
The remarks came as Gulf countries stepped up diplomatic efforts to ease tensions in the region.
The Qatari Prime Minister visited Paris to brief G7 foreign ministers, including representatives from Britain, France, Italy and Germany, as well as the Saudi foreign minister, on his discussions with US President Donald Trump.
The Gulf's message was understood to be a call for de-escalation in Iran. Trump's meeting with the Qatari Prime Minister, his first engagement with another foreign leader since the US midterm elections, had drawn considerable attention.
His relatively conciliatory tone was expected to be welcomed by G7 partners, who are increasingly concerned about the economic and security consequences of the conflict across the Middle East, Europe and beyond.
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