U.S. Secretary of State: Trump's Military Policy Toward Iran Is 'Eye for an Eye' — Experts Warn Gulf Tensions Unlikely to Ease Soon

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio recently declared that Tehran 'will pay a price,' characterizing President Trump's military policy toward Iran as 'eye for an eye.' He emphasized that Iran is already bearing heavy costs for its actions and warned that 'even higher punishments await in the future.'

During a press conference on Thursday (23rd), when asked whether Washington would escalate strikes against Iran in the coming days, Rubio responded firmly. While Iran continues to make tough statements and even released 'childish and laughable Lego stop-motion propaganda videos,' Rubio pointed out that real combat pressure has already imposed significant costs, and Iran is expected to 'quickly change its mind' and return to negotiations.

Rubio also denied foreign media reports claiming that 'Russia is helping Iran precisely target U.S. military bases and personnel.' He stressed that no country is assisting Tehran in identifying American targets.

Regarding President Trump's previous warning that the U.S. would bomb Iranian bridges and power plants if Iran attacks ships in the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio did not directly reiterate the threat. However, he noted that Iran is 'pleading with the U.S. day by day' through both direct and indirect channels to open negotiations.

Rubio added that until Iran 'faces reality,' the U.S. will continue to intensify its nightly punitive measures. Responding to Iran's overtures at this stage 'has no practical significance,' he emphasized.

Analysts point out that while Washington's language leaves room for diplomacy, the 'eye for an eye' framing tightly links military pressure with negotiation leverage, making it unlikely for Persian Gulf tensions to de-escalate in the short term.