Rubio defends Trump's Iran war as not 'necessarily popular, but necessary'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended President Donald Trump’s decision to launch the war in Iran, saying it was “necessary” to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Rubio admitted that the war was not “necessarily popular,” acknowledging the war’s impact on the Republicans’ midterm election losses last week. Rubio made the statement in response to questions about Vice President JD Vance’s statement last week that also pinned the losses on the war.

Rubio said Trump was responding to a “very real threat” when he launched the war earlier this year.

VANCE’S SCATHING IRAN WAR POSTMORTEM PUTS POTENTIAL 2028 GOP SHOWDOWN IN FOCUS: ‘EVERYONE KNOWS WHY’

President Donald Trump arrives with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to speak from the East Room of the White House in Washington, Saturday, June 21, 2025, after the U.S. military struck three Iranian nuclear and military sites, directly joining Israel’s effort to decapitate the country’s nuclear program. (Carlos Barria/Pool via AP)

“He addressed it even though oftentimes the right thing to do for the country — confronting difficult challenges for the security of our country — doing it isn’t necessarily popular, but necessary,” Rubio said.

Trump himself has made no apologies for the war, stating repeatedly since Election Day that he had no choice but to intervene in Iran’s nuclear program.

TRUMP SAYS HE DOESN’T DISAGREE WITH VANCE THAT IRAN WAR FUELED GOP LOSSES

“I can tell you if I had it to do again, this historically — for history — will go down as one of the best things we ever did,” Trump told reporters on Sunday. “Because if they ever had a nuclear weapon, they would blow up the world.”

Trump nevertheless told “60 Minutes” in an interview this weekend that he is not currently looking to escalate the conflict.

WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 21: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy.) In this handout provided by the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) sit in the Situation Room as they monitor the mission that took out three Iranian nuclear enrichment sites, at the White House on June 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. According to the Pentagon, three of Iran’s nuclear sites sustained “severe damage” from the U.S. strikes. (Daniel Torok/The White House via Getty Images)

IRANIAN NEGOTIATORS KICKED OUT OF US AS TALKS STALL, TRUMP LAYS OUT ‘POSSIBLE’ TIMELINE FOR MORE STRIKES

The U.S. and Iran are engaged in talks, but Rubio says they are making little progress.

“I wouldn’t say we’re at the verge of a breakthrough,” Rubio said. “Right now, it hasn’t been very productive because the Iranian demands are simply not just unacceptable, but in some cases outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic.”

TRUMP ADMIN THREATENS IRAN WITH ‘CONSEQUENCES’ AS ALLIES CONVENE AMID THREATS OF POST-ELECTION ESCALATION

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke during the ASEAN Summit in the Philippines, where he said the U.S. remained willing to negotiate with Iran while warning of consequences if diplomacy failed. (Getty Images) (REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/Pool)

Iran lifted its self-imposed ballistic missile-range limit and threatened to unleash new, homegrown weapons on Sunday. within hours of the U.S. military launching a new task force aimed at choking off Tehran’s weapons shipments and illicit trade on Nov. 7.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi confirmed that Iran was now abandoning its previous 2,000-kilometer, or roughly 1,240-mile, ballistic missile-range restriction.

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“That restriction has been lifted for us,” Mohebbi clarified in the wake of the task force announcement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.