Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday to defend the State Department’s budget request for the 2027 fiscal year, with lawmakers pressing him on the ongoing war with Iran and the Trump administration’s foreign policy priorities.
Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security adviser, told the committee that sanctions relief for Iran would only come if Tehran agrees to abandon its nuclear activities.
“Iran is being sanctioned because they’ve highly enriched uranium. Iran is being sanctioned because of their nuclear activities. If they agree to give up those things, there will be sanctions relief associated with their commitment and compliance with those agreements,” he said.
The hearing was the first of four scheduled this week, as the administration seeks congressional approval for a 30 percent cut to the foreign affairs budget, bringing it down to $36 billion, while pushing for a 50 percent increase in military spending to $1.5 trillion.
Rubio also appeared before a House appropriations hearing later on Tuesday and is set to testify at two more hearings on Wednesday, as fellow Republicans have shown signs of concern over the Iran war, which began with United States (US) and Israeli strikes on February 28.
Trump has been pursuing an interim deal with Iran that would extend an existing ceasefire, open the Strait of Hormuz and begin detailed talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme. Rubio has played a central role in those deliberations, as well as in US policy toward Cuba, whose economy the administration is squeezing in an effort to pressure Havana into major reforms.
Rubio is set to appear before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for another budget hearing on Wednesday morning.
