Rubio Says Trump Wants Peaceful End to Iran War Amid Nuclear Strike Rumors

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that President Donald Trump wants a peaceful end to the Iran War as rumors circulate about potential military escalation after the midterm elections.

The joint U.S. and Israeli military operation began Feb. 28. The U.S. has not publicly indicated plans to resume strikes, though recent media reports have suggested more deliberate military action following the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Rubio said that while the U.S. is confident it could act militarily, the administration “would prefer to do it peacefully.”

“He [Trump] hasn’t made a decision . . .What the president expresses to you is incredible confidence that if we needed to do something militarily, we would have the ability to do it, and we really we have everything we need to be successful,” Rubio said.

Threats of Military Action Intensify

Rubio’s remarks followed rhetoric from the Iranian side. On Saturday, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran should meet “any level or type of threat” with “an immediate, impactful, and geographically unrestricted response.”

On Sunday evening, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson—who has continually boasted having an internal channel with Middle East sources—claimed on X that “the Trump administration may be within days of launching a nuclear strike on Iran.”

Carlson claimed the Trump administration was under pressure from Israel to do so, and alleged that “the administration has quietly rewritten America’s nuclear doctrine to make first use of so-called ‘battlefield nukes’ easier and therefore more likely.”

Military.com reached out to the Pentagon for comment regarding Carlson’s claims.

Iran had proposed fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping within two days if Washington meets several conditions, including lifting its blockade of Iranian ports. But it has also said it is ready for renewed fighting, as well as pursuing diplomatic solutions.

Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, warned on X over the weekend that any attack would bring “devastating blows on the aggressor using new weapons.”

For the United States’ part, Trump on Sunday evening told reporters that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a “very good” call on Saturday. The president, however, did not offer specific details about what they discussed.