Secretary of State Rubio Says Iran ‘War over Now’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Tuesday that the Iran war is “over now,” while laying out what he described as the Trump administration’s non-negotiable conditions for any broader agreement currently under discussion with Tehran — including the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the surrender of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile, and severe long-term restrictions on the regime’s nuclear program before any sanctions relief would be considered.
Speaking in his first public congressional testimony since the launch of Operation Epic Fury in February, Rubio argued the Trump administration’s military and economic pressure campaign has significantly weakened the Islamic Republic while pushing Tehran into negotiations over aspects of its nuclear program the regime had previously refused to even discuss.
.@SecRubio: "There is the prospect before us… that, for the first time, certainly in my memory, they have agreed to negotiate aspects of their nuclear program that just a month ago, just a year ago, they were refusing to even mention, much less enter into discussions about." pic.twitter.com/2XvSGFRkEr
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 2, 2026
“There is the prospect before us — which could happen today, it could happen tomorrow, it could happen next week,” Rubio told lawmakers, referring to ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran. “For the first time, certainly in my memory, they have agreed to negotiate aspects of their nuclear program that just a month ago, just a year ago, they were refusing to even mention.”
Rubio said the current phase of negotiations is centered on forcing Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and commit to follow-up talks over its nuclear infrastructure and highly enriched uranium stockpile, while making clear the administration would not offer upfront sanctions relief in exchange for reopening the strategic waterway.
.@SecRubio: "What they are doing is unlawful and illegal. There isn't a country on earth other than Iran… who is in favor of what Iran is doing in the straits… The whole world is against it. So, condition number one is they have to reopen the straits." pic.twitter.com/iu3ftl6LnD
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 2, 2026
“They have to announce very clearly the straits are now open. We’re not charging a toll. We will help remove the mines that they put in there, and they will not fire on ships,” Rubio said, adding that Tehran must also agree to negotiations over “severe and long-term limitations and cancellation of enrichment activity.” (Read more from “Secretary of State Rubio Says Iran ‘War over Now’” HERE)
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr
