In a forceful media appearance on Capitol Hill, Marco Rubio defended the United States’ weekend strikes on Iran, saying Washington acted to prevent higher American casualties.
As tensions surge in the Middle East, Rubio also confirmed that the US will take steps to curb rising oil prices triggered by the escalating conflict.
Rubio said planned Israeli military action against Iran would have triggered retaliation against American forces, prompting Washington to act first.
“We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action, we knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces,” Rubio told reporters. “If we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.”
Also Read: Netanyahu says Iran war will take time but not years
On Saturday, Israel Katz described Israel’s missile attack on Iran as pre-emptive.
Iran, however, said the US assault was unprovoked and came while Tehran and Washington were engaged in negotiations over a nuclear accord.
Trump cites imminent threat
US President Donald Trump has said the United States faced an imminent threat from Iran that justified military action. He did not provide specific details, and some US lawmakers said no clear evidence has been presented to support that assessment.
According to the White House itinerary, Trump is scheduled to meet Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright at 1900 GMT on Tuesday.
Six US soldiers killed, no ground troops planned
Rubio confirmed that six American soldiers have now been killed in the war with Iran. Despite intensifying air and missile operations, he said there are currently no plans to send US ground troops into Iran.
Also Read: Trump signals further intense attacks on Iran; leaves door open for boots on ground
However, Rubio warned that more severe attacks would take place inside Iran as the military operation continues to move forward more quickly than anticipated.
Iran fired over 100 missiles, targeted civilian sites
The US secretary of state claimed Iran fired more than 100 missiles at Gulf states. He further alleged that Iranian forces targeted hotels and buildings, but emphasized that the United States did not target schools in Iran during its strikes.
Rubio said the first attack on Iran caused mass casualties and reiterated Washington’s objective: to eliminate Iranian missile capabilities and deprive Tehran of weapons that threaten the US and its allies.
Also Read: Iran calls for global action as hospitals and schools hit in air strikes
“Iran will never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons,” Rubio stated.
He also expressed hope that the Iranian people would eventually overthrow their government.
Addressing legal concerns, Rubio said the administration does not have to inform Congress before making decisions to go to war. He added that members of Congress are free to vote if they wish to take action on the matter.
Oil and gas prices surge
The conflict has sent shockwaves through global energy markets. Oil and gas prices surged on Monday following Israeli and US strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation.
The escalation forced shutdowns of oil and gas facilities across the region and disrupted shipping in the critical Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global oil supply.
The Energy and Treasury Departments did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Measures to curb energy prices
Rubio confirmed that Washington anticipated volatility in energy markets and is preparing mitigation measures.
“Starting tomorrow, you will see us rolling out those phases to try to mitigate against that,” he said. “We anticipated this could be an issue.”
Treasury Secretary Bessent and Energy Secretary Wright are expected to announce detailed steps on Tuesday aimed at stabilizing oil and gas prices.
