US has 'no immediate plans' for new strikes on Iran - report
Rubio reportedly informed several allies that the United States now favors sanctions and a naval blockade, without ruling out a military response in the event of an Iranian attack
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told several foreign counterparts that Washington does not plan to launch further strikes against Iran “for the time being,” Axios reported, citing two sources familiar with the discussions.
The Trump administration instead intends to intensify economic pressure on Tehran through new sanctions announced this week and a naval blockade targeting Iranian exports.
US officials believe that mine-clearing operations across much of the Strait of Hormuz, along with the growing number of oil tankers passing through the waterway, have sharply reduced Tehran’s ability to disrupt global energy markets.
“The Iranians have lost control of the strait. The United States now controls it,” one official said.
Washington also believes the blockade is significantly reducing Iran’s oil revenue. Almost no tankers have been observed near Kharg Island—Iran’s main crude-oil export terminal—during the past two weeks, according to the report.
The shift in strategy does not mean that military action has been ruled out. Rubio reportedly told his counterparts that the United States could retaliate if Iran carried out another attack.
One US official said the current approach could remain in place at least until the midterm elections, after which the administration might consider launching a new military campaign.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has also said that Washington has not ruled out further strikes in or around the Strait of Hormuz or elsewhere near Iran.