PARIS -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said here Tuesday that there was "no need" for major military operations against Iran.
At a press conference following the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris, Rubio said he had told G7 allies that the effectiveness of US economic sanctions and a naval blockade were working "so well" that US President Donald Trump had no need to launch major combat operations against Iran.
Rubio said the economic pressure Washington had imposed on Tehran would intensify over time, while stressing that the United States remained open to reaching a "real deal" with Iran.
On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Rubio said that the goal was to eventually expand trilateral talks involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine to include Europe, because European partners "are a part of solving this problem for the long term."
He described the first day of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi as "very productive," but said that "a lot of work remains to be done."
