Marco Rubio spoke at a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers in Manila, saying that if Iran does not take diplomacy seriously, the US will "do what's necessary" to protect its interests.
"The strikes are designed to continue degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," the US Central Command said in a statement on X.
US flights were suspended in 1985 after the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 from Athens, Greece, en route to Rome, Italy, that was forced to land in Beirut.
The decision, which follows a similar policy established by Burnham's predecessor, Keir Starmer, qualifies the strikes as "defensive" rather than an active war, Bloomberg reported.
Trump is expected to escalate the war with Iran, leading Israeli officials to believe that Tehran could retaliate directly against Israel.
The threat of attacking the Iranian site reflects escalating tensions as Tehran and Washington trade fire in the Gulf, setting back efforts to end the conflict.
Israel, US repeatedly failed to kill Iran's Alireza Tangsiri before successful strike • New details reveal Israeli naval attacks on Hezbollah commanders at Beirut's Ramada Hotel and a mobile HQ
The crisis could strengthen the case for regional defense cooperation, including quiet coordination with Israel, without necessarily bringing the kingdom closer to formal diplomatic relations.
Pickaxe Mountain has emerged as a major Iran nuclear concern, but questions remain over whether the facility is operational and whether a strike would achieve its goals.
Trump: US will hit Pickaxe Mountain 'pretty soon,' Iran desperate to hold talks after US strikes • Aoun: 'It's about time for Lebanon to be stable and secure'
Dr. Michael Milshtein tells the Post that Hamas’ new leader Khalil al-Hayya may allow a technocratic government to operate in Gaza while the group continues to hold real power.
