The war in Iran: Key takeaways from Al Jazeera’s interview with Marco Rubio
Rubio tells Al Jazeera U.S. seeks new Iran deal but “all options” remain if Tehran nears nuclear weapon.
Image: GlobalBeat / 2026
Iran war update: Rubio confirms US-Israel coordination on Tehran strikes
Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat
Marco Rubio told Al Jazeera the United States and Israel are coordinating daily on military operations inside Iran.
The US Secretary of State said Washington has approved “every single strike” Israel has requested support for since hostilities began three weeks ago, according to the interview broadcast Monday. He declined to specify how many American assets had already been used.
Rubio’s comments mark the first public acknowledgment that the Biden administration is directly involved in targeting decisions that have killed at least 400 Iranians and destroyed a dozen nuclear sites. The admission comes as Tehran warns it will retaliate against “any foreign base used to launch attacks.”
Background
Israel and Iran have fought a shadow war across the Middle East since 2013, trading cyber-attacks, assassinations and airstrikes on each other’s proxies. Tensions exploded into open conflict on March 9 when an Israeli drone killed General Abbas Nilforoushan, deputy head of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, outside Isfahan.
Washington has long insisted it seeks to prevent a regional war, yet maintains 45,000 troops across the Gulf and supplies Israel with $3.8 billion in annual military aid. President Trump campaigned on ending “endless wars” but has ordered two carrier groups to the region since the latest fighting began.
What’s Next
Rubio said he will meet Gulf foreign ministers in Riyadh on Wednesday to discuss a joint missile-defense shield that could intercept Iranian retaliation. Tehran has given no deadline but state media warned “the response will come when least expected.”
The open US role raises the likelihood of American bases in Qatar, Bahrain and Iraq becoming targets, analysts said. Oil jumped 4 percent on the news while the Pentagon ordered non-essential staff out of Kuwait.
Senior Correspondent, World & Geopolitics
Muhammad Asghar covers international affairs, conflict zones, and US foreign policy for GlobalBeat. He has reported on events across the Middle East, South Asia, and Eastern Europe, with a focus on the intersection of diplomacy and armed conflict. He has been writing wire-service journalism for over a decade.