Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed ongoing tensions with Iran, regional security concerns, and U.S. foreign policy priorities during an interview with Tak Togawa of NHK on July 23.
Rubio said that recent U.S. attacks on Iran were a response to what he described as repeated violations by Iran in negotiations. “Right now their negotiating position is they’re begging to make a deal. They constantly are reaching out saying they want to do a deal. But every time they make a deal, these guys either change their mind or violate the deal,” Rubio said. He added that Iran would face increasing economic consequences if it did not alter its course.
Discussing the Houthis in Yemen and their attacks on Saudi oil tankers, Rubio said, “the Houthis are a proxy in many ways of the Iranians.” He warned that continued involvement could lead to negative consequences for the group and urged them to distance themselves from Iranian influence.
When asked about regrets regarding the war with Iran that began five months ago, Rubio responded, “The only regret we were going to have is if Iran ever had a nuclear weapon… So we had reached a point where we had to address that, or they would have had a shield… Unfortunately, other presidents in the past have failed to address this threat, but President Trump did.” He also suggested earlier action might have been preferable but defended current efforts.
On Japan’s role amid Middle East instability and energy supply concerns, Rubio highlighted Japan’s efforts to diversify energy sources away from the region: “We are already selling them more oil and natural gas than at any time in history… there’s more that we can provide.” He affirmed U.S.-Japan cooperation as essential for stability.
Addressing China-Japan relations and broader Indo-Pacific dynamics, Rubio expressed concern over Beijing’s rhetoric toward Japan and emphasized deterrence through alliances such as the Quad. Regarding arms sales policy before President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to the United States in September, he clarified, “I don’t think the arms sales and the visit are related… Before we can sell things [to allies], we need to make sure we have enough for ourselves.” On Taiwan policy specifically, he stated, “The U.S. policy towards Taiwan was reiterated during our visit to Beijing and remains unchanged.”
Rubio concluded by reiterating America’s self-sufficiency in energy production despite higher prices at home: “We can provide for ourselves and for others.” Asked about future political ambitions or visiting Japan as president one day, he replied: “I’d love to visit Japan… I’m just focused on this job.”