ReportedMilitary & securityWashington, D.C., United States
Rubio tells counterparts U.S. will hold off on new Iran strikes for now, reports say
- Mountain Time
- Local time
- 1:55 PM in New York
- Where
- Washington, D.C., United States
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told foreign counterparts that Washington does not plan new offensive strikes on Iran for now and will focus on economic pressure and moving oil through the Strait of Hormuz, Axios and Israel's Channel 12 reported, citing sources; he did not rule out force if Iran attacks first.
Why it matters
A second U.S. official said the approach is expected to last at least until the Nov. 3 midterm elections, after which a new offensive could be considered.
Sources (2)
- The Jerusalem Postjpost.comPublished
- The Times of Israeltimesofisrael.comPublished
Confidence: Published by a named news organization. Not yet independently confirmed. About confidence labels
Correction
- Corrected the time from 4:38 AM New York time, Aug 26, 2026 to 1:55 PM New York time, Aug 25, 2026; corrected the headline (it read "Marco Rubio says US is pausing Iran strikes to prioritize economic sanctions"); revised the summary; revised the context note; changed the confidence label from official to reported; reclassified it from diplomatic_posture to military-statement; updated the sourcing note; added a source: The Times of Israel. Why and evidence