Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, said on Friday that U.S. military operations in Iran are expected to conclude within weeks as objectives are being met ahead of schedule. He made the remarks following meetings with foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations in France. Rubio said the timeline aligns with earlier projections from President Donald Trump and administration officials, who indicated operations would last between four and seven weeks. “It’s a question of weeks, not months,” Rubio said when asked about the timeline, BBC reported. He added that the U.S. has received messages from Iran regarding possible negotiations but indicated uncertainty about who would represent Tehran.
“We’ve had an exchange of messages and indications from the Iranian system, whatever’s left of it, about a willingness to talk about certain things,” Rubio said. “We’re waiting for further clarification about who it is that we would be talking to, what we would be talking about, and when we will be talking,” he added.
The comments come as the Trump administration has reportedly presented a 15-point proposal aimed at ending the conflict. Special envoy Steve Witkoff said he is “hopeful” talks could take place soon and that the proposal could resolve the war. “We have a 15-point deal on the table that the Iranians have had for a bit of time,” Witkoff said. “We expect an answer from them and it would solve it all.” Trump said Friday he has paused a potential strike on Iranian power infrastructure to allow space for negotiations. “Iran is being decimated,” Trump said, adding, “We are talking now. They want to make a deal.”
The conflict, which began on Feb. 28 with joint U.S. and Israeli operations, has resulted in the deaths of several senior Iranian leaders. Rubio said the U.S. has also deployed additional forces to the region to provide military options as the situation develops. Iranian officials have accused Israel of carrying out strikes on nuclear facilities and major industrial sites, including steel plants. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Tehran would impose a “heavy price” in response.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened retaliation against infrastructure tied to the U.S. and Israel. The group said it could target industrial and energy-related assets across the region. The G7 nations called for restoring full navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has moved to restrict. The waterway is a critical global energy route, with roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passing through it. Rubio said there are reports Iran has begun charging some vessels for safe passage through the strait. Iranian lawmakers are also reportedly considering legislation tied to those restrictions.