US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told ABC News on Monday that the United States has inflicted significant damage on Iran’s naval forces and its defence industrial base, and warned that President Donald Trump will not allow Tehran to control the Strait of Hormuz “in perpetuity.” Rubio said Washington expects to meet its objectives “in a matter of weeks, not months.”
In the interview Rubio declared, “We are destroying Iran’s navy. We are destroying their missile launchers by a significant percentage. We’re going to wipe out their defence industrial base, meaning their ability to make new missiles and new drones in the future, because it poses a great threat to the region. This Iran that you’re seeing now, this is Iran at its weakest point.” He called a more heavily armed Iran an “unacceptable risk” and argued action was necessary to prevent Tehran from expanding its missile and drone capacity over coming years.
On the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Rubio said the United States would not permit Iran to impose control or a tolling system on the waterway, and that the president “has a number of options available to him” to stop such a move. He added, “The Department of War would be in charge of those things… There is a way forward here to achieve our objectives.” A clip of the ABC interview was shared by the Department of State on X on March 30, 2026.
While sharply critical of Iran’s leadership, Rubio praised ordinary Iranians, saying, “The people of Iran are incredible people. The people who lead them are the problem.” He added that the world would welcome a “more reasonable” government in Tehran, but urged preparedness if that does not occur.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei responded that Tehran has held no “direct” talks with the United States and has only received messages through mediators about Washington’s desire for negotiations, according to Press TV. Baghaei said sensitivities rise when the US raises diplomacy and that global trust in US diplomatic claims is “very limited.” He also noted Iran did not take part in a four-way meeting in Islamabad hosted by Pakistan and attended by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt.
The remarks follow a Financial Times report quoting President Trump as saying indirect talks with Iran, facilitated by Pakistani intermediaries, were making “positive progress.” They come amid heightened tensions after Trump warned he could target Iran’s civilian energy infrastructure — including power plants, oil wells and Kharg Island — if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. In a social media post Trump wrote: “Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island.”
The exchange underscores rising international concern over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for global oil flows, as the conflict involving US, Israeli and Iranian forces enters its second month. (This story is published from a syndicated feed.)
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/iran-war-us-to-achieve-iran-war-objectives-in-weeks-says-marco-rubio-11288749#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-03-31 05:46:00
