Trump's Iran War: Rubio Defends Nuclear Threat Response

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that President Donald Trump launched the war against Iran to stop its nuclear ambitions, despite acknowledging the conflict is not "necessarily popular" with the American public. Rubio defended the eight-month-old war as necessary for national security, even as voters blamed it for higher energy prices and economic strain, contributing to Republican losses in Tuesday's elections. He declined to directly comment on Vice President JD Vance's social media post blaming the war for the GOP's defeat. Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, but the IAEA reports it has uranium enriched to 60% purity, near weapons-grade levels. Rubio said no diplomatic breakthrough is imminent, though Trump indicated strikes could be avoided if Tehran signs a "strong agreement."