Amid escalating tensions with Iran and the deployment of a second US aircraft carrier to the Middle East, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized Washington's preference for diplomacy over confrontation. In an interview with Bloomberg, Rubio revealed that President Donald Trump remains open to a direct meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, viewing such engagement as a pragmatic path to resolving disputes rather than a sign of weakness.
“I serve under a President that’s willing to meet with anybody,” Rubio stated. “I’m pretty confident in saying that if the Ayatollah said tomorrow he wanted to meet with President Trump, the President would meet him — not because he agrees with the Ayatollah but because he thinks that’s the way you solve problems in the world, and he doesn’t view meeting someone as a concession.”
These remarks coincide with a US military buildup in the region, aimed at deterring potential Iranian strikes on American assets. Rubio highlighted Iran’s history of targeting US interests and underscored the imperative to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, which he called a grave risk to regional and global stability.
Despite the show of force, Rubio affirmed Trump’s commitment to a negotiated settlement. He noted that talks could materialize soon, involving US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Rubio also downplayed fears of fraying alliances, addressing recent visits to Beijing by leaders like Canada’s Mark Carney, Britain’s Keir Starmer, and soon Germany’s Friedrich Merz. “It would be irresponsible for great powers not to have relationships and talk through things and, to the extent possible, avoid unnecessary conflict,” he said, adding that Trump plans a Beijing trip and has met Chinese President Xi Jinping, while he himself conferred with China’s foreign minister.