Rubio says Trump's war against Iran not 'necessarily popular' but needed to stop a nuclear threat
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended the ongoing war against Iran as a necessary measure to prevent nuclear proliferation, despite the conflict's role in recent Republican electoral losses. While President Trump maintains the war is a historic necessity, internal administration friction is growing as Vice-President J.D. Vance publicly blames the conflict for the party's poor performance in the midterm elections.
Why it matters
The conflict has created a significant political rift within the U.S. administration and has had tangible global economic consequences, including rising energy prices and instability in the Strait of Hormuz.
Florida U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday (November 7, 2026) that President Donald Trump launched the war against Iran, even if it was not “necessarily popular”, to safeguard the world from the country's nuclear ambitions. He would not comment directly about the Republican wipeout in Tuesday's (November 3) elections, which delivered a resounding rebuke to Mr. Trump. The unpopularity of the Iran war and its impact on gasoline prices and other parts of the economy helped Democrats seize control of Congress. Watch: Marco Rubio: Iran can never be allowed to become a nuclear weapons power Watch: Marco Rubio: Iran can never be allowed to become a nuclear weapons power U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says President Donald Trump is yet to decide on fresh military strikes against Iran, as Washington continues to pursue a diplomatic solution. Rubio says the U.S.
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