Rubio to Testify Before Congress as Trump Sends Mixed Signals on Iran War

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to testify before House and Senate committees this week to present the State Department's annual budget request, as the Trump administration faces growing scrutiny over the escalating conflict with Iran. The former Republican senator's appearances come amid mixed signals from President Donald Trump regarding the path forward in the war, which has already cost an estimated $29 billion, according to Pentagon Comptroller Jay Hurst.

Cabinet members, including Rubio, have defended Trump's decision to launch military action despite his past promises to avoid "forever wars" in the Middle East. However, those arguments have been complicated by Trump's shifting goals and conflicting statements about negotiations.

On Monday, Trump gave mixed signals, saying in one interview that he did not care whether negotiations were over while also insisting they were continuing at a "rapid pace."

Iran has announced it is suspending indirect talks with the United States, blaming Israeli strikes in Lebanon and alleging that Washington and its allies are violating ceasefire understandings. The fragile ceasefire, in place since April, has been extended and modified through ongoing negotiations, but tensions remain high.

Lawmakers from both parties have questioned the war's astronomical cost and its broader economic consequences. The conflict has reduced tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which about 20% of the world's traded oil and natural gas passes in peacetime, contributing to higher energy prices.

Last month, the Senate advanced legislation for the first time that would have forced Trump to withdraw from the conflict after GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana joined Democrats in pushing it forward.

The House also scheduled a vote on a war powers resolution, but GOP leadership kept it from coming to the floor after it became clear that the majority party would not have the numbers to defeat it.

Following his appearances Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Appropriations subcommittee responsible for the State Department, Rubio will return to the Hill on Wednesday to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the equivalent Senate Appropriations subcommittee.