US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said America is on track to achieve all its military objectives in Iran within weeks, telling ABC News and Al Jazeera that Iran’s air force has been destroyed, its navy largely eliminated, and its missile manufacturing facilities are next.
Rubio said the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened “one way or another” and dismissed Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, saying Washington does not even know whether he is genuinely in charge.
He added that the US would “welcome” a change in Iranian leadership if the opportunity arose, stopping just short of calling regime change an official war aim.
Iran’s foreign ministry flatly denied any direct negotiations are taking place.
Ukraine Cripples Russian Oil As Kremlin Reels
Ukrainian drone and missile strikes have forced Russia to slash oil production by up to 400,000 barrels a day in April, the steepest monthly drop
22 April 2026
