Rubio says US can achieve Iranian objectives ‘without ground forces’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration’s goals against Iran are achievable “even without ground forces.”
Regional powers in the Middle East are rallying behind Pakistan in a bid to deescalate the escalating US-Israel war after Pakistan rejected President Donald Trump’s 15-point peace plan and thousands of US troops arrived in the region.
As negotiations stall, Iranian parliamentary leaders say the country is preparing for a possible U.S.-led ground attack. His comments came hours after The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon was preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on March 27 that the United States does not need ground forces to win the war, but added that the military must also give the president “the maximum opportunity” if the situation changes.
Mr. Rubio echoed the stance of many administration officials over the past few weeks who have pledged a quick end to the war, adding that the war will not last long. The war between the United States and Israel on Iran, which began on February 28, is now in its fifth week.
Here’s what you need to know:
Iran says US is preparing ground attack during peace talks
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Berger Ghalibaf claimed in remarks published by Iranian state media on March 29 that the United States was secretly planning a “ground attack” despite US officials pressing for negotiations.
“As long as the United States demands Iran’s surrender, our response will be to never accept humiliation,” he said in a message to the nation.
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are scheduled to meet in Islamabad on March 29 to discuss ways to stop the war, but it is unclear whether representatives from the United States or Iran will attend.
Last week, the United States announced it had proposed a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran, which includes reopening waterways and limiting Iran’s nuclear program. However, the Iranian government rejected this list and submitted its own proposal.
President Trump has also threatened in recent days to damage Iran’s power plants and other energy infrastructure unless the country opens the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for global energy supplies. After March 27, when the stock market suffered its worst day of the war, President Trump announced an extension of the deadline for reopening the Straits, giving Iran an additional 10 days.
In a March 28 post on X, US Central Command announced that 3,500 soldiers and the amphibious assault ship Tripoli had arrived in the Middle East. The contingent includes sailors, Marines and attack fighters.
Iran, Israel trade strike, Houthis enter conflict
Yemen’s Iranian-allied Houthis entered the conflict after launching missile and drone attacks into southern Israel on March 27 and 28. The group’s attacks have opened a new front in the war and raised concerns of further escalation and chaos in the Gulf region.
Israel and Iran carried out consistent attacks over the weekend as efforts to seek a negotiated end to the war inched forward. The Israeli military announced on March 29 that the previous day, Israeli forces had targeted Tehran’s weapons manufacturing infrastructure, including dozens of storage and production facilities.
US-based human rights group HRANA said on March 28 that it recorded more than 700 attacks across Iran throughout the day, making it one of the deadliest 24-hour periods since the war began. The group, which collects open source data, tracked most of the attacks in Tehran and reported that 24 civilians were killed and 88 injured.
Hundreds of people gathered in Beirut to mourn the three Lebanese journalists killed in an Israeli airstrike on March 28. Lebanon’s Al-Manar television reported that three people, one of its correspondents and two of broadcaster Al-Mayadeen, were killed while riding in a media vehicle. A Lebanese soldier was also killed.
The Israeli military accused one of the journalists of being part of a Hezbollah intelligence unit and reporting on the whereabouts of Israeli soldiers.
How many people died in the war?
As of March 27, at least 1,900 people have been killed and 20,000 injured in Iran, according to a tally by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Reuters reported. HRANA estimates the death toll at 3,461, including 1,208 military deaths and at least 1,551 civilians. The remaining 702 people are unclassified between civilian and military.
Lebanese public health authorities announced that as of March 27, Israeli airstrikes had killed 1,142 people and injured 3,315. It is unclear whether Hezbollah fighters are included in the death toll announced by Lebanese authorities.
According to Reuters, Iraqi health authorities have announced that at least 100 people have died since the crisis began. Missiles fired at Israel from Iran and Lebanon have killed 19 people in Israel, according to Israeli emergency services. The Israeli army also announced that four soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon.
According to the Pentagon, more than 300 U.S. military personnel have been injured in the Iran war. The death toll remains at 13 military personnel.
More than 20 people were also killed in other countries and territories embroiled in regional crises, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the West Bank and the United Arab Emirates.
Contributed by: Reuters.
Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.
