Marco Rubio just said the US would prefer to deal with Iran ‘peacefully’, now they’re bombing Qeshm Island

Over the weekend, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that President Donald Trump would like to resolve the Iranian war “diplomatically” and prefers not to use military force. However, less than 24 hours before the midterm elections, the United States launched airstrikes against Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing U.S. officials.

The blasts occurred in rapid succession, according to Iran’s state-owned IRNA news agency. Witnesses reported seeing two planes flying over the island, which is located off Iran’s southern coast along the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials described the recent strikes as defensive measures, intended to limit Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The reports added that Washington refrained from publicly announcing the strikes to avoid giving the impression that large-scale military operations were resuming. Notably, before the recent attack, both The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reported that the U.S. would only consider renewed military action after the midterm elections.

Waiting game after the midterm elections

Rubio told reporters on Saturday, “He [Trump] hasn’t made a decision… What the president expresses to you is incredible confidence that if we needed to do something militarily, we would have the ability to do it—we have everything we need to be successful. But we would prefer to do it peacefully.” Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) has not yet stated the reported strikes.

Trump spoke to the Right Side Broadcasting Network, adopting a more pointed tone than his secretary of state. “We’ve had such a victory, and we’ll put it away very soon, one way or the other,” he said, outlining the options: “Either they’ll make a deal, or we’ll just end it.” When asked earlier on Monday whether he had considered resuming strikes on Iran after Tuesday’s midterm elections, he replied, “No.”

Negotiations gained momentum after Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to Iranian leadership late last month. The letter was addressed to top Iranian military leader Mohsen Rezaei, who maintains a direct line to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Vance said he and Trump were optimistic about securing a deal with Iran, after Tehran revealed indirect negotiations with Washington. “The president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement,” Vance told reporters. “We’ve certainly made some progress. We’ll see if we can make some more.”

Meanwhile, oil prices climbed on Tuesday after the U.S. reportedly struck Iran’s Qeshm Island late Monday, one day before the midterm elections. Brent crude was up 0.97% on Tuesday at $105.77 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate was up 0.97% to $97.41. Oil prices rebounded a day after the U.S. and Iranian presidents signaled they are open to a diplomatic solution to the Iran war, which drove prices down more than 7% on Monday.

Attention now turns to Tehran’s response and Washington’s next steps. Whether the two sides can contain the escalation will affect not only military forces in the region but also the security of a vital route for global energy trade.