US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says military operations against Iran will conclude in weeks, not months, and without deploying US ground combat troops.
DUBAI/WASHINGTON/PARIS: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington expects its military operations against Iran to conclude within weeks, not months. He stated the US could meet all its objectives without using ground troops.
Rubio made the comments to reporters after meeting G7 counterparts in France. He said Washington was “on or ahead of schedule in that operation, and expect to conclude it at the appropriate time here – a matter of weeks, not months.”
While ruling out ground combat troops, he acknowledged deploying some personnel to the region. This was to “give the president maximum optionality and maximum opportunity to adjust the contingencies, should they emerge,” Rubio said.
The deployments include two contingents of thousands of Marines and elite airborne soldiers. Their arrival has raised concerns the conflict could turn into a prolonged ground battle.
The war, launched by the US and Israel on February 28 with airstrikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader, has spread across the Middle East. It has caused major disruption to global energy supplies and trade.
Iran’s response has included strikes on US, Israeli, and civilian targets in Gulf Arab nations. An attack on the Prince Sultan airbase in Saudi Arabia on Friday wounded 12 US military personnel, two seriously.
Several US refueling aircraft were also damaged in that attack, according to a report. Over 300 US service members have been wounded since the conflict began, with 13 killed.
New strikes were reported on Friday targeting Iranian nuclear and industrial infrastructure. Iranian media reported attacks on a decommissioned heavy-water nuclear reactor and a yellowcake uranium factory.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran reported no increase in radiation levels at the yellowcake facility. Strikes were also reported on a residential unit in Zanjan, killing at least five people.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Israel, with US coordination, hit two steel factories and a power plant. He said Iran would exact a “HEAVY price” for the attacks.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters Tehran had not decided whether to respond to a US diplomatic proposal sent this week. The official said continuing strikes while the US sought talks were “intolerable.”
The US proposal, sent via Pakistan, includes demands to dismantle Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes. US special envoy Steve Witkoff said he expects an Iranian response soon and hopes for meetings within a week.
Five sources familiar with US intelligence said only about a third of Iran’s missile arsenal has been destroyed. Gulf Arab states are urging the US to ensure any deal permanently curbs these capabilities.
The conflict has killed thousands, with over 1,900 dead and 20,000 injured in Iran alone. It has triggered the biggest ever disruption to energy supplies, sending oil prices soaring.
Brent crude topped USD 112 a barrel on Friday, having risen more than 50% since the war began. In the US, diesel prices in California hit a record high.
