US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told G7 allies in Paris that sanctions and a naval blockade were inflicting extraordinary, compounding economic pain on Iran and reducing the need for major combat operations. Rubio rejected the idea that avoiding renewed strikes amounted to a stalemate, saying Washington was achieving the same objective through economic pressure and that Iran had never faced such difficulty selling energy globally. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would hold off on military strikes after appeals from regional governments, including Qatar’s prime minister. Stephen Miller and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent favor continued economic pressure, while Vice President JD Vance prefers a deal that Trump currently considers untenable. The conflict has become a political liability for Republicans, with Trump acknowledging it contributed to their midterm defeat and Vance saying the war was the reason for the loss. The US has maintained sanctions against Iran for decades, targeting oil revenue, weapons components and businesses controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while the naval blockade has caused severe economic damage.