Rubio Declines to Comment on Midterms, Says No Breakthrough with Iran as He Heads to G7 Talks in France

PN Report

Washington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters on November 8 before leaving for a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in France, declined to discuss the midterm elections, saying he does not comment on domestic politics. He noted that divided government is a normal feature of the American system and that elections come every two years.

Asked about Iran, Rubio said he had no progress to report and that a breakthrough was not imminent. He said the president would prefer a diplomatic solution, but Iranian demands had been unacceptable and, in some cases, unrealistic. He defended the president’s decision to confront Iran, arguing that a nuclear-armed Iran would endanger the whole world. On strikes involving Qeshm Island, he said the United States acts defensively when its forces or shipping face a clear threat.

On Ukraine, Rubio said talks would begin in Abu Dhabi the following day, with Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff attending. He said discussion of post-war security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe has advanced, though nothing has been finalized.

He said the G7 agenda, set by France, would include superintelligence, global conflicts and the Middle East, with Ukraine’s foreign minister attending. He was not worried about protests in France, saying he trusts security assessments.

On Haiti, Rubio said Salvadoran forces are acting bilaterally, separate from the UN-backed gang suppression force, and stressed the need for coordination to avoid clashes.

On the International Criminal Court, he said Washington will not accept its jurisdiction over Americans and will act if allies cannot convince the court to reform. He declined to comment on reports concerning Nvidia chief Jensen Huang.