U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington currently has no plans for a new military strike against Iran, but has not ruled out the possibility of military action in the event of a potential attack by Tehran.
Rubio said that, at this stage, the United States is focused on increasing economic pressure on Iran, maintaining the naval blockade, and efforts to expand the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz to global markets.
Axios, citing a U.S. official and a source familiar with the matter, reported that Rubio emphasized that Washington does not want to resume large-scale military operations at this time.
According to the report, the current U.S. strategy has four main components: temporarily refraining from new military action against Iran; increasing economic pressure through the naval blockade and additional sanctions; expanding the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz to global markets; and preparing for potential military action in the future if necessary.
Axios said the shift in U.S. policy could reflect President Donald Trump’s fatigue with the ongoing war against Iran and his desire to halt the conflict, at least for the time being.
U.S. officials believe that the naval blockade and economic pressure are placing Iran’s economy under severe strain, while Washington is seeking to maintain the flow of oil from regional countries through the Strait of Hormuz to global markets.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
