Rubio made his first public appearance before the Senate hearing since the outbreak of the Iran war on Tuesday. In his opening remarks, he did not proactively address the conflict that has lasted for three months, causing rising prices and electoral pressure domestically. Instead, he emphasized that U.S. foreign policy centers on national interests, military security, economic security, and reducing foreign aid. In response, Democratic senators focused their questioning on whether the State Department had evaded congressional oversight. Senate Foreign Relations Committee's top Democrat, Jeanne Shaheen, criticized the State Department for failing to provide adequate explanations to Congress over issues including the deployment of U.S. troops in Europe, civilian displacement caused by the Iran war, Ukraine, sanctions, the U.S. Global Media Agency, the termination of Romania visa program, and Venezuela’s oil revenues. She accused the administration of launching strikes against Iran while simultaneously claiming to Congress that the U.S. was not in an "active hostile state." During the hearing, Democrats attempted to link the war to domestic hardships and midterm election risks. Rubio, however, offered a relatively optimistic assessment regarding negotiations with Tehran, stating that Iran had agreed to discuss previously rejected aspects of its nuclear program, and that a deal could be reached soon—though without any guarantees. He also revealed indications that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Hamenei, might be involved in the talks to some extent, and stressed that unless Iran makes significant concessions on nuclear issues and reopens the Strait of Hormuz, the White House would not lift sanctions on Tehran.
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