Rubio defends Iran war as unpopular but necessary to block nuclear threat

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended the American war against Iran, saying President Donald Trump ordered the campaign to protect the world from Tehran's nuclear ambitions, even though the conflict has proven unpopular with voters.

Speaking to reporters in Florida on Sunday, Rubio said Trump had "identified a very real threat" in Iran and acted to prevent it from pursuing a nuclear weapon. He said the president had taken on "difficult challenges for the security of our country", acknowledging that doing so was "not necessarily popular, but necessary".

On the state of diplomacy, Rubio cautioned against expectations of an imminent end to the fighting, saying he would not describe negotiations as being on the verge of a breakthrough. While Trump prefers a diplomatic resolution, Rubio said Iranian demands were "not just unacceptable, but in some cases, outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic".

His remarks followed comments from Trump, who said many people were unhappy with Vice President JD Vance for blaming the US-led war for the Republican Party's heavy defeat in last week's midterm elections. Trump said he largely agreed with Vance but had no regrets about going to war, predicting the decision "will go down as one of the best things we ever did" and warning that a nuclear-armed Tehran "would blow up the world".

In a phone interview with CNN on Sunday, Trump also signalled openness to a deal, saying that as long as Washington sees progress in negotiations and Tehran signs a "strong agreement", it is "highly unlikely it's going to be necessary" to resume strikes.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by saying it was "time for the White House to make its own" decision on the war. Writing on X, he pointed to the midterm results, saying American voters had made their choice, and reiterated that Tehran's two-day proposal remained on the table: meet its requirements, including an end to the war on all fronts, "and you will see results". "Or choose war, and see our alert and battle-hardened Warriors rain down hell," he added.

Iran has offered to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping within two days if the United States accepts its conditions. The waterway is a critical route for global energy supplies.

Trump is scheduled to host Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani at the White House on Monday, according to his official schedule. Tehran is reviewing Qatari proposals aimed at bridging its differences with Washington, the Associated Press reported.

Separately, Rubio has in recent days dismissed what he called unfounded speculation that he plans to step down as the country's top diplomat to pursue higher office in 2028.