US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that Washington does not currently need to launch further military operations against Iran, arguing that economic pressure has already severely weakened the Islamic Republic.
Speaking at an event organised by the Federalist Society, Rubio's remarks echoed President Donald Trump's earlier assessment that the war was effectively over from a military standpoint.
Rubio said the economic damage being inflicted on Iran was so significant that additional military action was unnecessary at this stage. He stressed, however, that the ultimate objective of the United States was to ensure Iran could never develop nuclear weapons.
The secretary of state also recognised the financial difficulties Americans have faced because of the conflict. Rising fuel prices and disruptions caused by the war have affected almost every part of the global economy.
Rubio said Trump could have chosen to ignore Iran's nuclear ambitions and left the problem for a future administration rather than becoming involved in an unpopular conflict. However, the president decided that the threat needed to be addressed.
He acknowledged that confronting the issue had not been easy, noting that the conflict had brought considerable economic and other hardships.
US Intercepts Iranian Drones Following Tehran's Claim of Radar Attack in Bahrain
The US military confirmed Friday that it had shot down two Iranian attack drones travelling toward Bahrain, rejecting Tehran's claim that its forces had struck an American radar installation there.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations across the region, reported that the incident caused no casualties or property damage.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, citing an IRGC statement, reported that the alleged radar attack was carried out in response to an American strike on a telecommunications pole in the southern Iranian port city of Sirik.
It was the first time Iran had reported targeting an installation in Bahrain since September. Bahrain's Ministry of Information had not immediately issued a response to requests for comment.
Iran Reports Tanker Explosion After Alleged Mine Strike in Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed Friday that a liquefied petroleum gas tanker struck a naval mine and suffered an explosion while attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to IRNA, the IRGC said the vessel had ignored several warnings before entering the eastern section of the strategically important waterway. However, the allegation could not be independently confirmed.
Meanwhile, the United Nations reported a significant increase in attacks and other security incidents involving commercial vessels in the disputed maritime region.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) said October recorded the highest number of incidents involving commercial shipping since the Iran war began in February. By November 11, approximately 134 incidents had been reported across the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Middle Eastern maritime region.
The organisation also reported that 25 seafarers had lost their lives, while numerous others were injured or remained missing.
Iran Says Nuclear Inspections Cannot Resume Under Military Threats
Iran has informed the United Nations' nuclear watchdog that negotiations over nuclear monitoring and inspections cannot move forward while the country continues to face military threats.
A confidential report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicated that Tehran believes inspections cannot resume while Washington continues threatening attacks against Iranian nuclear facilities.
Iran has also refused to grant international inspectors access to nuclear sites damaged during the Israeli and US strikes in the June 2025 conflict.
Tehran Warns of a Decisive Response to Any Renewed US-Israeli Attacks
Iran has warned the United States and Israel that any renewed military confrontation would trigger a strong and decisive response.
Speaking at a Friday meeting of the UN Security Council, Iran's Deputy Ambassador Gholamhossein Darzi said any response would target the source of aggression, regardless of where it was located.
Darzi also expressed serious doubts about the possibility of restarting diplomatic negotiations. He argued that American threats and military attacks during what Iran described as good-faith negotiations over the past two years had created deep mistrust.
He said Tehran would find it difficult to consider renewed talks without reliable assurances that similar actions would not happen again.
During the meeting, Darzi also exchanged criticism with Bahrain, which had requested the Security Council session on behalf of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members, alongside the United States.
Israeli Shelling Kills Three Palestinians in Gaza, Including a 12-Year-Old Boy
Israeli tank fire in central Gaza killed three Palestinians on Friday, including a woman, a father and his 12-year-old son, according to health officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
The shelling took place in the eastern area of Deir al-Balah and left another 20 people injured, most of them children, hospital officials said.
Israel's military stated that its forces had opened fire to disperse individuals it claimed were approaching troops near the Yellow Line, which separates areas under Israeli military control from other parts of the Gaza Strip.
Despite a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas reached more than a year ago, Israeli gunfire and airstrikes have continued on an almost daily basis.
Nine-Month-Old Baby Dies from Hypothermia, Raising Concerns Over Gaza's Winter Conditions
Health officials in Gaza reported Friday that a nine-month-old baby had died from hypothermia, marking the first reported cold-related death of the winter season.
The infant, identified as Kanan Ahmed Arqiq, had been living with his family in a tent that offered little protection against freezing temperatures. Family members said the shelter had also been flooded by heavy rainfall earlier in the week.
Outside the hospital, the baby's father, Ahmed Arqiq, held his child's body alongside a medical certificate identifying severe cold exposure as the cause of death.
Around two million people in Gaza have been displaced by the war, with most now living in tents or makeshift shelters that provide inadequate protection from harsh weather.
The United Nations and several humanitarian organisations have accused Israel of restricting the delivery of essential humanitarian assistance into Gaza. However, the Israeli military has rejected those allegations.
Turkey and Qatar Sign Mutual Defence Agreement
Turkey and Qatar have strengthened their military partnership by signing a mutual defence agreement during a meeting in Istanbul on Friday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani signed the agreement, according to a statement from Erdogan's office.
The statement, published on X, said both countries would continue coordinating their efforts to prevent renewed conflict in the Gulf region and promote diplomatic solutions to regional disputes.
The agreement builds on the two countries' longstanding military cooperation and follows a separate defence pact signed by Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in August.
Iran Holds Funerals for 350 Unidentified Soldiers from Iran-Iraq War
More than 38 years after the Iran-Iraq War ended, Iran held large-scale funeral ceremonies on Friday for the remains of 350 soldiers whose identities had not yet been established.
The remains had recently been recovered from former battlefields and were transported through several Iranian cities in one of the country's largest military burial ceremonies in recent years.
In Tehran, thousands of mourners attended a procession honouring 110 soldiers, while ceremonies for another 240 were organised in other cities.
Military trucks carrying coffins covered with Iranian flags passed near Tehran University as large crowds, many dressed in black, gathered to pay their respects.
The ceremonies reflected the continuing significance of the Iran-Iraq War in the country's national memory, even decades after the conflict officially ended.