U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided some additional context on Monday of how U.S. strikes against Iran came to be, saying that “the hardest hits are yet to come" from the U.S. military.
Rubio spoke to reporters on Capitol Hill in the late afternoon on Monday following briefings with congressional leaders on escalating U.S. operations targeting Iran’s ballistic missile stockpiles, launch sites and naval forces. Rubio said President Donald Trump ordered the campaign preemptively after intelligence indicated Iran would retaliate against U.S. forces if Israel struck first and that waiting would have resulted in higher casualties.
The administration, according to Rubio, notified the bipartisan congressional leadership group known as the Gang of Eight and transmitted formal notice under the War Powers Resolution of 1973 within 48 hours while warning that “the hardest hits are yet to come.”
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said around the same time as Rubio's remarks that American forces recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility struck during Iran’s initial attacks in the region, bringing the total U.S. death toll to six. Major combat operations continue, the command said, and the identities of the fallen are being withheld pending next-of-kin notification. Missiles are flying and six U.S. service members have been killed in action as the conflict with Iran intensifies.
An earlier CENTCOM update on Operation Epic Fury said 3 U.S. service members were killed and 5 others were seriously wounded, with additional personnel reporting minor injuries.
Mission: Wipe Out the Missiles
Rubio spelled out the main mission: dismantling Iran’s missile capability and keep it from coming back, mirroring similar remarks made by Trump earlier in the day.
The objective of this mission is to destroy their ballistic missile capability and make sure they can’t rebuild it.
Rubio said Iran is producing more than 100 short-range ballistic missiles per month—a pace he argued exceeds the production of defensive interceptors. Tehran is also fielding thousands of one-way attack drones, creating what he described as a layered conventional arsenal designed to deter retaliation and shield its nuclear ambitions.
“What they are trying to do…is build a conventional weapons capability as a shield where they can hide behind,” Rubio said.
Rubio said Iran could reach what he called a point of “immunity” within 12-18 months, a threshold where the volume of missiles and drones would make any military response too costly for regional adversaries or the United States.
U.S. strikes are also targeting Iranian naval forces that he said could threaten global shipping routes and energy infrastructure.
Iran has targeted or threatened U.S. and partner facilities across the region, including a missile strike near the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, according to Bahrain’s government and reporting on the attack.
Iran launched missiles that struck near the Fifth Fleet facility in Manama, Bahrain, prompting emergency response, with officials saying the situation remained fluid and casualties were unclear at the time.
‘Imminent Threat'
Questions about presidential authority quickly followed the briefing, with lawmakers pressing whether Congress had been fully informed or if explicit authorization was required before launching strikes.
“There absolutely was an imminent threat,” Rubio said, arguing U.S. intelligence showed Iran would move immediately against American forces if attacked and that delaying action would have resulted in higher casualties.
He said members of the Gang of Eight were briefed twice, including a call the night before the operation, and that formal notification under the War Powers Resolution was transmitted within the required 48-hour window after hostilities began.
The War Powers Resolution requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of introducing U.S. forces into hostilities and limits military engagement to 60 days without congressional authorization, with a possible 30-day extension under limited conditions.
Rubio said no presidential administration, Republican or Democrat, has accepted the law as fully constitutional but insisted the White House complied with its reporting obligations.
“There’s no law that requires us to do that,” Rubio said of obtaining prior approval, adding that Congress is free to hold a vote if it chooses.
He rejected claims that lawmakers were bypassed, saying congressional leadership was contacted in advance but that notifying all 535 members before the operation was not feasible.
Not About Regime Change
The question hanging over the briefing was whether the United States is trying to topple Iran’s government.
Trump earlier urged the Iranian people to rise up, fueling speculation that the strikes could expand beyond missile targets. Rubio drew a sharper distinction.
“We would love for there to be an Iran that’s not governed by radical Shia clerics,” Rubio said on Capitol Hill.
He said the leadership in Tehran does not reflect the will of the Iranian people and pointed to past waves of protests inside the country. Still, he insisted the military campaign has a defined and limited objective.
“The objective of this mission is the destruction of their ballistic missile capabilities,” Rubio said, adding that regardless of who governs Iran in the future, the goal is to ensure the country cannot use missiles and drones as a shield for nuclear ambitions.
Rubio said the administration is not currently postured for ground forces and framed the operation as preventive rather than transformational. The campaign, he argued, is about eliminating what he called an unacceptable risk, not designing Iran’s political future
Oil Costs Spike as Strikes Intensify
Energy markets jolted as investors reacted to expanding U.S. operations against Iran’s missile and naval forces, raising concerns about potential disruption to global oil flows.
Rubio acknowledged the economic fallout, saying the administration anticipated volatility and is preparing countermeasures.
“We have a program in place,” Rubio said, referring to discussions with senior energy and U.S. Treasury officials about mitigating price spikes.
He argued Iran’s naval capabilities give Tehran leverage over as much as 20% of global energy transit, a reference to shipping routes that move oil through strategic waterways in the region.
The Strait of Hormuz is the key choke point, with roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day moving through it and limited alternatives for most exporters.
Rubio declined to detail the next operational phase but, like Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, signaled the campaign is far from over.
