Rubio says US open to diplomacy after ninth night of Iran strikes

Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Sunday that the United States remains open to a diplomatic solution with Iran even as American forces completed a ninth consecutive night of strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure across multiple cities. Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews before departing for an ASEAN summit in the Philippines, Rubio said the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran "can't be alive if they're violating the terms of it" but insisted "if that door opens, we'll be happy to see it open."euronews+1

Hormuz and the Burden of Protection

Rubio framed the ongoing strikes as a response to Iran's continued attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, calling on the international community to share the cost of defending the waterway. "It's clear that Iran, at least some people in Iran, want to control the straits and hold that as leverage against the world," Rubio said. "Other countries need to begin to step up and provide, whether it's hardware or finances, to help carry that burden. It is not the United States' job to protect shipping for the entire planet forever."state+1

US Central Command said Monday that the ninth night of strikes targeted "Iranian military command centres, air defence and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks." Traffic in the strait has largely stalled amid the renewed hostilities, with the intensified fighting erupting despite an interim ceasefire agreement. Iran's Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday called Trump's signature on the deal "worthless and invalid," while a negotiator said Tehran was suspending its commitments.euronews

Service Member Deaths

Rubio confirmed the deaths of three American service members. Two were killed on July 17 when Iranian ballistic missiles struck a US base in Jordan. "We shot down almost all the missiles. One leaked through, hit the wrong place, and tragically, and it's heartbreaking," Rubio said. A third service member died in Iraq during what the military described as a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone.state+1

The deaths bring the total number of US military fatalities since the conflict began in February to at least 16, with more than 400 wounded, according to US military figures. One service member remains missing following Friday's attack in Jordan.cnn+2

Diplomatic Signals, but No Breakthrough

Despite the escalation, Rubio said Iran continues to send signals through direct and indirect channels that it wants to negotiate. He acknowledged, however, a "growing split" within Iran's leadership between those who recognize the country's economic collapse — citing 300 percent inflation and fuel shortages — and militants who "continue to launch missiles."state

"If the guys that want to do something productive for Iran win and take control of that system or take control of the negotiations, that'll be a very positive development," Rubio said. "That's not where we are tonight, unfortunately."state