Axios: US Secretary of State signals weeks of ongoing conflict with Iran

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed Arab foreign ministers that the war with Iran is expected to continue for several more weeks, sources familiar with the conversations announced, Axios reports.

Rubio said that US military efforts are currently focused on targeting Iran’s missile launchers, stockpiles, and factories. While he emphasized that Washington’s goal is not regime change, he simultaneously made clear that US officials prefer different leadership in Tehran, the sources noted.

“There is currently no US dialogue with the Iranian regime, and any talks now would undermine ongoing military objectives,” Rubio reportedly told the ministers.

President Donald Trump said on March 5 that Iran is seeking negotiations, but “they are too late,” signaling that the military campaign remains the US priority. The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The US and Israeli strikes entered their seventh day on March 6, with both sides increasing intensity. Iran and its regional proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Shia militias in Iraq, continue launching missiles and drones at US bases, Israel, and Gulf states.

Despite this, CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper noted a sharp decline in Iranian attacks, stating that missile launches have fallen 90% since the conflict began. US and Israeli officials also reported that 60% of Iran’s missile launchers and stockpiles have been destroyed.

On March 6, Israeli fighter jets targeted a heavily fortified bunker beneath the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s compound, believed to serve as an emergency command centre. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Brigadier General Efi Defrin said the military believes senior Iranian officials had used the bunker in recent days, and it is still assessing whether anyone was inside at the time of the strike.

By Vafa Guliyeva