U.S. Secretary of State Rubio told Fox News that Washington’s military strikes have made Iran more willing to negotiate on its nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz. He said the strikes destroyed Iran’s navy, air force, missile-defense systems, launchers and weapons production facilities and “severely weakened” its defenses; Iran “still has missiles and drones” capable of causing damage but no longer possesses the conventional shield it had planned to hide behind, a shift Rubio said explains

2026-08-02

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio told Fox News that Washington’s military strikes have made Iran more willing to negotiate on its nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz. He said the strikes destroyed Iran’s navy, air force, missile-defense systems, launchers and weapons production facilities and “severely weakened” its defenses; Iran “still has missiles and drones” capable of causing damage but no longer possesses the conventional shield it had planned to hide behind, a shift Rubio said explains why Tehran is now, in some cases, eager to seek agreements while the U.S. deals from a position of strength rather than weakness.