Arti Bali,
Washington, Jan 29, (.) Amid US military action in Venezuela and a broader strategy to assert American influence in the Western Hemisphere, Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified for nearly three hours on Wednesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, defending the Trump administration’s foreign policy and addressing issues in Venezuela, Iran, Ukraine, and other global hotspots.
Defending the Trump administration’s decision to work with Venezuela’s interim government-led by former officials from Nicolás Maduro’s regime, following the US operation of ‘Absolute Resolve’ that removed Maduro from power.
He said that the United States will “very quickly” establish a diplomatic presence in the South American country and it will be pursuing a phased strategy aimed at restoring democratic governance while closely monitoring interim authorities.
“These are complex things,” Rubio told lawmakers. “This is not a frozen dinner, where you put it in a microwave and in two and a half minutes it comes out ready to eat.”
He also reiterated his support for the administration’s decision to proceed with the Venezuela operation without prior congressional authorisation or advance notification to Capitol Hill.
Rubio told lawmakers at a Senate hearing that the Trump administration had established a “respectful and productive line of communication” with Rodríguez, though there was “a lot of work to be done.” Rubio said the US will “judge actions, not words.”
Rubio also revealed plans to threaten the use of force “to ensure maximum cooperation” from the Venezuelan interim authorities as he testified publicly for the first time since the military operation to capture and depose Nicolás Maduro was carried out on January 3.
“We will closely monitor the performance of the interim authorities as they cooperate with our stage-based plan to restore stability to Venezuela. Make no mistake, as the President has stated, we are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail,” Rubio will say, according to his prepared remarks for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday.
Rubio’s testimony comes amid continued scrutiny of the military operation and the administration’s broader plans for Venezuela.
The hearing grew tense when Senator Tammy Duckworth pressed Rubio on whether the US should consider itself at war with Venezuela, noting President Donald Trump’s invocation of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. Rubio rejected the characterization, arguing that Venezuelan criminal and narcotics trafficking groups-particularly the Tren de Aragua gang, designated as a terrorist organization—pose a national security threat.
On Iran, Rubio struck a cautious tone, acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding any potential collapse of the country’s leadership.
Rubio said “no one knows” who would take over if Iran’s supreme leader were removed from power. He acknowledged the situation would be more complicated than when Maduro was deposed in Venezuela.
“I don’t think anyone can give you a simple answer to what happens next in Iran if the Supreme Leader and the regime were to fall,” he said, adding that while the US could act preemptively to protect American forces and allies, he hoped escalation could be avoided.
Trump has been repeatedly threatening Iran, saying US naval “Armada” is heading to the Middle East if Tehran advances its nuclear program. Responding to Trump threats, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the country’s armed forces are fully prepared to respond “immediately and powerfully” to any aggression against Iran’s territory, airspace or waters.
“Our brave Armed Forces are prepared, with their fingers on the trigger, to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea,” Araghchi wrote in English on X. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said the remarks were in response to threats from US President Donald Trump.
He also pointed to the “valuable lessons learned” from the 12-day war with Israel in June, claiming these experiences have strengthened Iran’s ability to respond “even more strongly, rapidly, and profoundly” to any future threats.
Tehran will have to offer concessions to revive its battered economy, which has provoked the most massive unrest in the country since the 1979 revolution. While demonstrations have petered out, Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei will need to reconfigure the country’s foreign and defense policies to prevent attacks and rebuild its security architecture by strengthening its network of allies in the region.
Despite the tense rhetoric, Araghchi reiterated Iran’s willingness to reach a fair and equitable nuclear agreement. “Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable nuclear deal — on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation — which ensures Iran’s rights to peaceful nuclear technology, and guarantees no nuclear weapons,” he said.
Araghchi said that nuclear weapons “have no place in our security calculations and we have never sought to acquire them.”
Trump’s comments have heightened regional concerns about further escalation.
Earlier on Wednesday, Araghchi held separate telephone conversations with his Turkish and Saudi counterparts, focusing on efforts to prevent further escalation of tensions in the region, according to statements from Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
Turning to Europe, Rubio said negotiations to end the war in Ukraine have narrowed to a single major obstacle, Russia’s territorial claims over the Donetsk region. He described talks as “fluid and fast-paced,” noting that security guarantees backed by the US have been agreed to in principle but would only take effect once the war ends.”I know there’s active work going to try to see if both sides’ views on that can’t be reconciled. It’s still a bridge we haven’t crossed,” he said. Rubio also said he’s in touch with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner “probably 10 times a day.”
Rubio also addressed US relations with Greenland, saying discussions are “in a good place” and that regular technical-level talks are now underway.
On Cuba, Rubio acknowledged that the administration would like to see political change on the island, though he emphasized that the US is not seeking to directly engineer regime change.
“That doesn’t mean that we’re going to make a change,” Rubio said. “But we would love to see a change.”
The hearing underscored the administration’s assertive foreign policy posture while revealing ongoing challenges as it navigates fragile transitions, unresolved conflicts, and mounting scrutiny from Congress.
Rubio confirmed to Senators today that the US has placed proceeds from a sale of Venezuelan oil into a bank account in Qatar. “It’s a short-term account,” Rubio said. “Ultimately it will be a huge US Treasury-blocked account in the United States.” The extensive sanctions on Venezuela have excluded its government from the global banking system for years.
The funds, generated under strict sanctions, will be audited at Venezuela’s expense to ensure proper use. Rubio said the audit system will be approved by the US and cover allowable expenses before funds are disbursed.
By circumventing United Nations authorisation and relying on domestic legal justifications, the United States has disregarded established norms of international relations, undermining both state sovereignty and the international rules-based order.
This move has set a very dangerous precedent, implying that great powers have the right to interfere in the internal affairs of neighboring states when strategic interests are at stake. Russia, for example, could cite the US intervention in Venezuela as a precedent to justify its current military posture in Ukraine, arguing that it is a necessary step to secure its own security interests in its “backyard.” China could use the same justification for its coercive policies toward Taiwan.
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