U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump would like to resolve the war with Iran diplomatically and prefers not to use military force, even as reports suggest both sides are preparing for additional strikes once the U.S. midterm elections are over.
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Rubio said Trump had not yet made a decision. He said the president has expressed confidence that the United States would be able to act militarily if needed and has "everything we need to be successful," but added that Washington "would prefer to do it peacefully."
The comments came as reporting indicated both Washington and Tehran are gearing up for further military action after the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The United States has not explicitly said it plans to resume attacks on Iran, but according to reports from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, the U.S. is preparing for possible renewed military operations after the vote.
On Saturday, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called on Tehran's armed forces to answer "any level or type of threat" with an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response, according to the reports. He also ordered that the military's database be updated so that what he described as the physical and non-physical assets of the "U.S.-Zionist enemy" — a reference to U.S. and Israeli forces — fall within the reach of Iran's armed forces.
Trump, speaking to the Right Side Broadcasting Network on Sunday, said the United States had "had such a victory" and would "put it away very soon, one way or the other." He added: "Either they'll make a deal, or we'll just end it."
Separately, Iran's foreign ministry designated the U.K.'s Military Intelligence Services as a "hostile group" and accused the Royal Navy and Air Force of supporting "terrorist organizations." In a post on Telegram, the ministry described the move as a response to what it called London's "malicious" actions, including the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.
Tehran has also accused the U.K. of taking part in the U.S.-Iran war by allowing American forces access to British military and logistical bases. According to the BBC, the U.K. permitted U.S. forces to use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia for strikes on Iran that were described as defensive.
Sources: CNBC Markets.