Senator Marco Rubio told reporters at the ASEAN Regional Forum that President Trump would retaliate decisively — "a head for an eye" — if Iran persists in attacking U.S. interests in the Middle East. Rubio warned the cost of Tehran's escalations would increase each night until its leaders "come to their senses," and suggested Iran may only seek talks after suffering further losses. He also insisted Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons and accused the regime of spending on proxy groups instead of its citizens.
Rubio: Trump Will Respond 'A Head For An Eye' If Iran Keeps Targeting US Interests
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the press on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila on July 23, 2026. (photo credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/POOL VIA REUTERS)
Senator Marco Rubio warned at the ASEAN Regional Forum that if Iran continues to attack U.S. interests in the Middle East, President Donald Trump would respond forcefully — using the phrase "a head for an eye" to describe the likely retaliation. Rubio said Tehran would "pay a heavy price" and that the cost of Iran's recent escalation would rise each night until Iranian leaders "come to their senses."
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum, Rubio said Iran appears to be seeking renewed talks with Washington after the collapse of a previous U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, but cautioned that "it looks like they are not ready to make a deal."
"The problem is that any time they make a deal, the people that are in charge either break it or they want to change it," Rubio said, arguing that Tehran has a pattern of reneging on agreements or trying to alter terms. He suggested Iran might be more willing to negotiate only after suffering further operational setbacks: "They may be ready to make a deal in a few days, as they continue to suffer great losses."
Rubio reiterated his view of the president's stance on retaliation, referencing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi's prior remark that Iran follows an "eye for an eye" approach. "President Trump will take a head for an eye," Rubio said, emphasizing a hardline policy toward continued attacks on U.S. interests.
Motorists drive their vehicles past a political billboard featuring US President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz along Valiasr Square in Tehran on May 26. (credit: Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
On nuclear proliferation, Rubio stressed that while Trump is in office, he will not allow Iran to develop or possess a nuclear weapon. "The number one threat to the world is these lunatics in possession of a nuclear weapon," Rubio said, later characterizing some Iranian leaders as "lunatics," "evil," or "evil lunatics."
Rubio also criticized Tehran's domestic priorities, saying Iran could be one of the Middle East's wealthiest countries but instead diverts resources to proxy groups. "They take their money, and they give it to Hezbollah, they give it to Hamas, they give it to the Houthis, they give it to Shia militias," he said, accusing Tehran of sponsoring terrorism rather than investing in its own people.
Highlighting recent U.S. military actions, Rubio said, "From day one of the operation, it was very clear that we were going to degrade their missile launchers, their drones, and their factories," and reiterated that Washington's top priority remains pursuing a denuclearized Iran that no longer threatens global security.
Photo: A political billboard featuring President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz along Valiasr Square in Tehran on May 26. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
Help us improve.
