Rubio Warns of Intensified Offensive, Citing "Imminent Threat" from Iran
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking on February 25, 2026, reiterated President Donald Trump's comments regarding a forthcoming intense offensive in the war with Iran. Rubio's remarks emphasized a significant escalation in military action.
"The hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military," Rubio stated, adding that "the next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now."
He affirmed the existence of "an imminent threat" from Iran. While not providing a specific timeline for the conflict, Rubio indicated that the U.S. "will do this as long as it takes to achieve" its objectives.
"The world will be a safer place when we're done with this operation."
Congressional Briefings Underway Amid Scrutiny
Rubio's statements were made before a briefing with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, the first in a series of meetings for administration officials and members of Congress. These briefings are designed to update legislators on the ongoing military action.
The White House confirmed that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine are scheduled to conduct an all-Congress briefing on Tuesday. White House spokesperson Dylan Johnson also confirmed that the Department of War had previously briefed bipartisan national security committee staffs from both chambers for over 90 minutes on the military action in Iran.
Congress returned to Washington after a recess that preceded recent attacks, with the Senate reconvening on Monday and the House planning to reconvene on Tuesday. Lawmakers had called for briefings on the military action, particularly following attacks that resulted in the death of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Questions were raised by Democrats regarding the legality of the strikes, which were carried out without congressional authorization.