The heavy defeat suffered by Republicans in the midterm elections for the US Congress sparked a state of confusion within the administration of President Donald Trump, amid escalating controversy over responsibility for the loss, especially the repercussions of the Iran war, and increasing questions about the future of the most prominent members of his national security team.
Efforts to remove Secretary of War Pete Hegseth were renewed, after Republican Representative Thomas Massie announced his intention to resubmit a resolution to impeach him before the House of Representatives, while Trump renewed his adherence to the minister, praising his performance despite the mounting criticism of his management of the war.
In parallel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied reports of his intention to resign, stressing that he plans to remain in office until the end of Trump's term. He refused to discuss his presidential ambitions for 2028.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will head to France next week to participate in a meeting of G7 foreign ministers, according to what the US State Department announced, in light of the escalating challenges related to the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Rubio's visit to France comes after the Democrats seized control of Congress, in a severe defeat for the Republicans that would place various obstacles before Donald Trump in the last two years of his presidential term.
While the impact of the results of the congressional elections on American foreign policy is not clear, the G7 meeting scheduled for Monday and Tuesday will give Washington’s allies an opportunity to explore the administration’s directions.
The State Department said, in a brief statement, that Rubio will visit Paris between November 8 and 10 with the aim of “promoting American interests during his meetings with his counterparts in the Group of Seven,” according to Agence France-Presse.
It was decided to move the meetings from the city of Marseille to the capital, Paris, for “logistical reasons,” according to what the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, noting that the move followed weeks of demonstrations that spread throughout France in protest against the high costs of living.
In addition to the Ukrainian file, the foreign ministers of the group's countries (Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States) are expected to discuss efforts aimed at achieving stability in the Middle East.
Representatives of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Korea, Brazil and Ukraine are also participating in the meeting.
The Paris meeting is preceded by Russian-Ukrainian talks brokered by the United States, which will be held in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11.
On Thursday, Trump expected to reach an agreement with Russia regarding Ukraine and “all of Europe.”
The president's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, said Trump had made progress in his discussions with European leaders about the need for "a broader European security architecture that can help provide the conditions for lasting peace."
France's presidency of the G7 ends at the end of this year, with the United States assuming the presidency after that.
Rubio's visit also comes amid speculation about his political future. He is seen as one of the potential candidates to succeed Trump.
However, Rubio denied reports that he intended to leave office, confirming to the New York Times that his plan was to work alongside Trump until the end of his term.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that his administration is holding talks with representatives of Iran.
Speaking to reporters, the US President added: “We are making very good progress with Iran,” according to the Reuters news agency.
Regional and international diplomatic movements intensified to contain tension between the United States and Iran and prevent the renewal of the military confrontation that threatens to expand the circle of war in the Middle East, while Washington and Tehran exchanged statements amid a struggle to impose conditions and power calculations.
Washington is talking about possible progress in the negotiations, while Tehran is preparing to consider a diplomatic solution. Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, said that US Vice President J.D. Vance’s message expresses a “change in tone,” and described it as a “good indicator,” but at the same time Tehran insists on the need for the United States to respond to its demands before returning to the dialogue table. This reflects the continuing gap between the two parties despite intensified mediation efforts.
Qatar emerges at this stage as the main mediator in communications between Washington and Tehran. A delegation of Qatari mediators visited the Iranian capital, Tehran, last Monday evening, to resume talks with Iranian officials regarding the possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict that has been ongoing for months.
This mediation gains special importance in light of the difficulty of resuming direct contacts between the two parties, and the requirement of each of them to make concrete concessions before entering into new negotiations.
In a development that may open a new window for the negotiating path, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had sent the United States a proposal related to its nuclear program via Qatar, indicating that Washington is currently studying the proposal.
But the official clarified that discussion of the proposal will not begin until the United States responds to seven Iranian demands. This reflects Tehran’s commitment to linking the resumption of nuclear negotiations to the settlement of a group of political, economic and military issues.
