US President Donald Trump has settled on a third option in the Iran war, choosing to intensify economic pressure on Tehran rather than resume military strikes or agree to a peace deal on terms Washington considers unacceptable, news website Axios reported.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined the approach during a meeting with the G7 foreign ministers on Tuesday, saying Trump was not limited to choosing between returning to war and negotiating an agreement with Iran.
Instead, Washington intends to maintain its existing pressure campaign and tighten the economic squeeze on the Iranian regime, according to Axios.
"The President doesn't just have two options. It's not just returning to war or signing a ridiculous peace deal. We won't do a stupid deal. The third option we have is to continue to do what we do now," Rubio said.
He argued that continuing the current strategy would impose mounting costs on Iran without forcing Washington to commit to a deadline for ending the pressure campaign.
The strategy centres on weakening Iran's economy to the point where it struggles to finance armed groups or rebuild its military capabilities.
Rubio also argued that Tehran was damaging its own economy by refusing to accept Washington's conditions.
"The President is not under false time pressure, the Iranians are inflicting major damage on their own economy," Rubio said.
TRUMP FAVOURS ECONOMIC BLOCKADE OVER STRIKES
The shift comes after months of uncertainty over Trump's approach to the conflict, with the President repeatedly threatening devastating military action while also insisting that Tehran would eventually agree to Washington's demands.
The war has also emerged as a political liability for Trump, with Republicans suffering losses in the midterm elections.
A US official close to the President told Axios that Trump had been weighing his options but had not been certain about the best way forward.
Trump signalled his preference for avoiding another round of military action after meeting Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Monday.
He described the possibility of fresh strikes against Iran as "quite unlikely" and said they did not appear necessary.
Instead, the administration is looking to sustain its economic offensive and naval blockade while pursuing a new operation, called 'Iron Gate', aimed at shutting down land routes allegedly used by Iran to transport advanced weapons and technology.
According to US officials cited by Axios, Rubio was among the key figures in Trump's national security team who advocated this approach.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner were also part of the group.
The officials said the group opposed restarting the war and believed Iran's current negotiating position was unlikely to produce an agreement that would serve American interests.
They instead pushed Trump to continue tightening the screws on Tehran.
RUBIO DOUBTS IRAN READY FOR DEAL
Rubio also expressed little confidence in the prospects of an immediate diplomatic breakthrough, arguing that Iran's conditions for negotiations were unacceptable.
Speaking to reporters after the G7 meeting, he said Tehran wanted an agreement but was not making serious proposals.
He suggested that sustained economic pressure could eventually force Iran to reconsider its position, arguing that the country's financial difficulties would become increasingly difficult for its leadership to ignore.
"Eventually you have to eat," Rubio said, adding that economic realities could eventually influence even the most hardline elements of the Iranian establishment.
However, the strategy has raised concerns among some US allies, including Turkey, Iraq and Pakistan, a US official told Axios.
These countries are worried about Washington's intention to prolong the economic squeeze rather than work towards a negotiated settlement.
