Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the United States could achieve its objectives in Iran without deploying ground troops and expects the operation to conclude within weeks, despite recent deployments of additional forces to the region.
Rubio spoke to reporters before returning to the United States after meeting with G7 foreign ministers in France to discuss the conflict launched by the U.S. and Israel late last month.
He said the U.S. was achieving its objectives in the war, which include destroying Iran’s missile and drone capabilities and the facilities used to produce them, as well as targeting its navy and air force. He added that the operation could conclude in “weeks, not months.”
“We are ahead of schedule on most of them, and we can achieve them without any ground troops,” Rubio said.
He noted that recent deployments of thousands of additional U.S. troops to the region were intended to provide President Donald Trump with options to respond to potential developments in the conflict, but declined to give operational details.
“In terms of why there are deployments, the president has to be prepared for multiple contingencies,” Rubio said. “We are always going to be prepared to give the president maximum flexibility to respond as situations evolve.”
Rubio also said Iran could consider imposing a toll system in the Strait of Hormuz, and argued that European and Asian countries that benefit from trade through the waterway should help ensure freedom of navigation once the conflict ends.