Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the press in Paris, France, on November 10, 2026, following a G7 meeting. He reported that economic sanctions and a blockade on Iran have eliminated the immediate need for major U.S. military combat operations.
Iran Sanctions and Military Operations
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated during a press briefing at The George C. Marshall Center that U.S. economic sanctions and a historic blockade are causing severe devastation to the Iranian regime. Because of this escalating pressure, Rubio said the President currently sees no need to conduct major combat operations.
Rubio defended actions by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, stating they were lawful executions of the Commander-in-Chief's directives. He noted that Iran's economic pain will continue to compound as remaining oil supplies on the water dry up.
Ukraine Trilateral Talks and European Involvement
Regarding the war in Ukraine, Rubio described recent talks in Abu Dhabi as productive. He emphasized that European representatives from five EU countries are engaged alongside U.S. negotiators.
The U.S. goal is to eventually expand the trilateral framework involving the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia to include direct European representation at the table. Rubio also noted that technical discussions with China regarding AI guardrails remain a work in progress.
Key facts and where they come from
- Rubio stated that economic pressure on Iran has eliminated the immediate need for major combat operations.
the President really doesn’t have any need to conduct major combat operations.
- Rubio reported that recent discussions regarding Ukraine in Abu Dhabi were productive.
it looks like the talks in Abu Dhabi were very productive.
