US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Washington can now see the “finish line” in the war with Iran, though he stressed that the end of the conflict is not imminent and still requires time to achieve. Rubio, speaking on Fox News, described the war — now in its fifth week since joint US‑Israeli strikes began on February 28 — as progressing toward its conclusion, saying “it’s not today, it’s not tomorrow, but it is coming.”
The conflict has seen sustained US‑Israeli air attacks on Iranian targets and Iranian retaliatory strikes on Israel and Gulf states hosting American bases, resulting in thousands of deaths, millions displaced and significant disruptions to global oil markets. Rubio said that indirect communications between the United States and Iran are ongoing, with the possibility of direct talks “at some point,” raising cautious hopes for future diplomatic engagement.
Rubio also signalled that the United States will need to reassess its post‑war relationship with NATO, criticising European allies for declining to allow US use of their bases and airspace during the conflict. President Donald Trump has separately indicated that US military operations could end within “two to three weeks” even without a formal deal with Tehran.
The evolving situation continues to draw global attention as both diplomatic and military developments unfold.