The United States remains committed to its original objectives in its operations against Iran

Axar.az reports, in an interview with ABC, U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio said that the goals remain the destruction of Iran’s air force, navy, missile capabilities, and defense industrial base to prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“All of this so that they can never hide behind it to acquire a nuclear weapon. That was our objective from the beginning; that remains our objective now,” Rubio said. He added that the U.S. is on pace or ahead of schedule to achieve these aims within weeks.

Rubio also highlighted that while the U.S. is open to negotiations with more moderate elements within Iran, it is prepared to act if diplomacy fails.

“We always prefer to settle things through negotiation and diplomacy. But we also have to be prepared for the fact that that effort might fail,” he said.

The Secretary underscored that the operation is designed to neutralize threats from Iran while preserving options to respond to any escalations, including control of the Strait of Hormuz and the protection of regional security.