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AzerNEWS Staff

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The United States does not need to launch further military operations against Iran, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.

According to the Associated Press, Rubio stated that Washington's economic pressure on an already weakened Iran had reached a critical level.

"Frankly, the economic difficulties we are inflicting on this regime are so significant that military action is no longer necessary. We have weakened them considerably. However, I believe victory means ensuring that they never acquire nuclear weapons," the US Secretary of State said.

Rubio also acknowledged that the conflict has inflicted economic costs on Americans, contributing to higher fuel prices.

According to him, it would have been easier for President Donald Trump to ignore the threat posed by Iran's nuclear programme, avoid an unpopular war and "leave this problem to the next president." However, the White House leader decided that the issue should not remain unresolved.

"This is costly. It is not easy, and it is difficult. It often creates economic and other challenges. We acknowledge that," Rubio concluded.

It is worth recalling that on July 8, US President Donald Trump announced that the ceasefire had been violated and ordered new strikes against Iran.

In response, Iran targeted US military facilities in the Persian Gulf region with missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Although Washington has not ruled out the possibility of Iran returning to negotiations, disagreements over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's nuclear programme and other issues continue to cast uncertainty over the prospects for a peace process.

Meanwhile, commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has once again come close to a standstill.