Rubio defends Iran war as necessary despite unpopularity

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended President Donald Trump's eight-month war against Iran on Sunday, saying it was necessary to prevent a nuclear threat despite being unpopular. He spoke as Democrats won control of Congress in Tuesday's elections, with voters citing the war's economic impact. Rubio acknowledged the war's role in Republican losses, which Vice President JD Vance had blamed in a social media post. Rubio said Trump "identified a very real threat" and that confronting security challenges is "not necessarily popular, but necessary," while Trump called the war "one of the best things we ever did." Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, though the IAEA reports uranium enriched to 60% purity. Rubio said talks are not near a breakthrough, as Qatar mediates between the sides, while the U.S. continues limited strikes and maintains a naval blockade on Iranian ports.