Marco Rubio says US can "achieve military objectives if we seek to" in Iran conflict

On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would be receptive to a negotiated settlement in the Iran conflict while also indicating that force remained an option, and he said President Donald Trump had not settled on launching additional strikes. The remarks came as Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, warned of an immediate, wide-ranging response to any fresh US or Israeli attack. That warning followed Trump’s suggestion of possible military action after US midterms and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s talk of an opportunity to remove Iran’s government. The war began February 28 with US-Israeli strikes; Iran has limited vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, contributing to higher energy prices, while Qatari and Pakistani mediators seek to avert more fighting.