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Rubio says Iran pressure campaign limits need for major combat

The Wall Street Journal's Paris report pairs his G7 remarks with European hopes for a Democratic Congress and concerns over Ukraine negotiations.

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The Wall Street Journal Story of November 12, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of The Wall Street Journal's most watched videos since yesterday, with 30,606 views.

Rubio Discusses Ukraine and Iran at G7 After Dems Dominate Midterms

Marco Rubio says economic pressure on Iran is reducing the need for major military operations, as the Trump administration pursues diplomacy on two fronts after the U.S. midterm elections.

"It's working so well that the president really doesn't have any need to conduct major combat operations," the secretary of state tells reporters in The Wall Street Journal's report from the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris. His remarks describe the administration's assessment of its pressure campaign, not an announcement that the conflict has ended.

Reporting from Paris, WSJ national security reporter Robbie Gramer explains that allies are also looking toward Washington. According to his report, some hope the Democratic-controlled Congress taking power in January will push for more aid to Ukraine and provide a check on agreements with Russia. Those are expectations about what Congress might do, rather than commitments from the incoming majority.

Alongside the Paris meeting, Gramer reports on negotiations in Abu Dhabi involving U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Ukraine and Russia. He describes European anxiety about whether their governments will have a meaningful role in final decisions or find themselves sidelined.

The report connects the election result to that diplomatic uncertainty: allies are watching both the negotiations abroad and the new constraints Trump could face at home.