President Donald Trump has chosen to intensify economic pressure on Iran rather than launch new military strikes or accept a truce on terms Washington rejects.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined the administration’s approach during a meeting with G7 foreign ministers, according to Axios, stating that the White House would maintain its financial squeeze instead of pursuing an unworkable settlement.
“The President doesn’t just have two options. It’s not just returning to war or signing a ridiculous peace deal. We won’t do a stupid deal. The third option we have is to continue to do what we do now,” Rubio said, as reported by Axios.
The strategy aims to drain Tehran’s financial resources so it can no longer fund armed groups or rebuild military infrastructure. More than eight months into the conflict launched alongside Israel on February 28, Trump played down the likelihood of major warfare restarting soon, Reuters reported.
The decision follows discussions in Washington with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Trump said he agreed to hold off on fresh attacks after receiving appeals from regional neighbors including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
“The United States of America is fully locked and loaded with the best equipment ever made, and we don’t think there’s going to be any reason to use it,” Trump told reporters at the White House, according to Reuters.
While pausing new strikes, Washington plans to maintain its naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The administration is also launching ‘Iron Gate’, a new operation targeting ground transportation routes used to smuggle advanced weapons and technology.
Administration officials including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and presidential adviser Jared Kushner backed the approach, arguing that Iran’s negotiating position remains fundamentally incompatible with American interests.
Tehran continues to demand an end to the naval blockade, the lifting of sanctions, and a halt to bombings in exchange for stopping its own shipping blockades, with nuclear talks to follow later. Rubio dismissed those conditions as unrealistic during his G7 meetings.
“The President is not under false time pressure, the Iranians are inflicting major damage on their own economy,” Rubio said, according to Axios, adding that basic material shortages would eventually force a shift in Tehran.
Iranian security council chief Mohsen Rezaei rejected the stance on X, telling the US to “stop manufacturing fake news about imaginary talks” and urging surrender to Iran’s seven conditions. Meanwhile, regional partners such as Turkey, Pakistan, and Iraq have raised concerns with Washington over the preference for indefinite financial pressure instead of a stable negotiated settlement.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told reporters on Monday that Ankara remains opposed to any new escalation and urges resolution through dialogue.
