US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on 31 October that diplomatic channels with Iran had remained continuously active, while declining to set any timeline for their conclusion or reveal whether a deal was within reach. Speaking at the close of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, Rubio confirmed that President Donald Trump had not yet authorised further military strikes against Tehran.

Talks Continue Through Intermediaries

Rubio described the diplomatic process as multi-layered, involving both direct exchanges and third-party intermediaries. “There are multiple talks; talks have actually never stopped. There’s been active conversations going both in some cases directly, but often through intermediaries,” he said. He offered no assessment of how close the two sides were to any agreement, saying decisions on timing rested solely with Trump.

“I’m not gonna characterise either the progress on those talks or any timeframe on it other than to tell you that if there is a diplomatic solution, we would be open to it,” Rubio added. He stressed that any settlement would have to address US national security concerns, identifying Iran’s nuclear programme and its support for regional armed groups as the central sticking points.

Military Option Remains on the Table

When pressed on the possibility of renewed strikes, Rubio declined to outline any specific military contingency, but was unequivocal about Washington’s readiness. “We can achieve military objectives if we seek to. He hasn’t made a decision,” he said, referring to Trump. Rubio described the president as preferring a peaceful resolution while remaining confident in US military capability.

Iran Accused of Targeting Shipping and Backing Proxies

Rubio levelled sharp accusations at Tehran on two fronts. He alleged that Iran was openly targeting commercial vessels carrying cargo, oil, and natural gas in regional waters, warning that such attacks endangered countries well beyond the immediate conflict zone. He said US forces were engaged in defending commercial shipping against drones and missiles “almost every night,” though he noted that fuel movements remained broadly comparable to pre-conflict levels.

He further argued that disruption to maritime trade threatened global food security, as the movement of energy, fertiliser, and agricultural products could be curtailed for nations far removed from the fighting. On Iran’s regional role, Rubio accused Tehran of backing Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis, and militias he said were undermining the Iraqi state. “So anywhere you turn, what you find is some Iranian proxy that’s undermining the peace and stability of the Middle East,” he said.

G20 Divided on Collective Response

Rubio acknowledged that fellow G20 foreign ministers shared concerns about threats to maritime trade and regional stability, but noted that shared recognition of the problem had not translated into agreement on collective action. The Atlanta meeting, he suggested, surfaced consensus on the dangers but not on remedies.

US Reaffirms Commitment to Saudi Arabia

On Saudi Arabia, Rubio said the United States would continue to honour its defence commitments, particularly those involving defensive assistance. He said Washington remained in regular contact with Saudi leadership, including at the level of direct conversations involving Trump. He also welcomed participation by other nations in defending Saudi Arabia against ongoing attacks, without specifying which countries were involved.

With no deadline set and no decision made on military action, the trajectory of the US-Iran standoff will depend heavily on what emerges from the back-channel talks Rubio described — and on how long Trump’s preference for a diplomatic outcome holds.