Rubio says U.S. yet to decide on new Iran strikes

Secretary of State Marco Rubio. File. | Photo Credit: AP U.S. President Donald Trump has not decided on fresh strikes on Iran amid stalled peace talks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday (October 31, 2026).“We can achieve military objectives if we seek to,” Mr. Rubio told a press conference in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was hosting G20 foreign ministers for a two-day meeting.But Mr. Rubio added that Mr. Trump “hasn’t made a decision” on further military action, amid reports that the U.S. leader could attack after key midterm elections on Tuesday (November 3, 2026).“I have no announcement in that regard with you today, and nor do we take any of it lightly,” Mr. Rubio said.While he slammed Tehran for “actively and openly” targeting commercial vessels for attack, Mr. Rubio also expressed Mr. Trump’s preference for a diplomatic solution to end war with Iran.But he did not commit to a timeline for talks.“I’m not going to characterise neither the progress on those talks nor any timeframe on it, other than to tell you that if there is a diplomatic solution, we would be open to it,” Mr. Rubio said.Iran’s supreme leader on Saturday (October 31, 2026) warned the United States and Israel against launching new attacks, following threats to resume strikes after crucial elections.Mr. Trump earlier warned of the potential for fresh military action after U.S. midterms, saying previously that he was weighing up whether to “finish them off.”But any further attack would spark concern among U.S. allies.On Thursday (October 29, 2026), EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told AFP: “We are calling for a diplomatic solution, and really, escalation does not benefit anyone.” Published - November 01, 2026 05:46 am IST