US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday said he saw no need to resume major combat operations against Iran because economic sanctions and other restrictions were working so effectively.
"The economic campaign (against Iran) is so devastating that right now there is no need for major combat operations," Rubio said after a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Paris. "That's what I told our allies here today."
President Donald Trump "has concluded that for the time being there is no need for major combat operations because we are achieving the same objective by economic means," Rubio said.
But if Iran were to cross "red lines" then the "US military stands ready", said Rubio, warning of a "terrible price" for Tehran.
European members of the G7 had pressed Rubio at the meeting of foreign ministers of the group in Paris to avoid any new escalation against Iran.
In a surprise move, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani joined talks on the G7 sidelines with four European top diplomats and the Saudi foreign minister hours after meeting Trump to discuss ending Washington's war with Iran, Paris said.
Trump had said after meeting Al Thani -- a key mediator who is also Qatar's foreign minister -- that there was momentum toward ending the war, which erupted on February 28…
