President Donald Trump said he sees no reason to intensify the war with Iran, but defended his decision to start the conflict and cited Iran’s nuclear program as the main reason. His comments came in a 60 Minutes interview that aired Sunday, Nov. 8.
Asked whether he planned to escalate the war, Trump said, “I’m not looking to. I don’t think there’s any reason to.” He described the decision to launch the conflict in late February as one that would be “historically” good, while acknowledging it may not be beneficial “for today and tomorrow.”
Trump said he had done “what’s right for our country.” His remarks expressed his position on escalation but did not announce a ceasefire or a change in military policy.
Rubio says a diplomatic breakthrough is not imminent
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that the United States and Iran were not “at the verge of a breakthrough.” He told reporters that negotiations had not been productive because Iran’s demands were “simply not just unacceptable,” while reiterating that Trump preferred a diplomatic solution.
Rubio made the comments before departing for Paris for a G7 meeting, where he expected allies to ask about the conflict and the next steps. The Associated Press also reported his assessment that an immediate diplomatic breakthrough was not in prospect.
Trump was scheduled to meet Monday at the White House with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Qatar has mediated indirect talks between Washington and Tehran aimed at reaching a deal to end the conflict. The meeting was expected to address the diplomatic effort; no agreement had been announced in the reports.
Reid Bentley 
Nicole French