US Prez Trump open to meeting Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei, says Marco Rubio

US President Trump and Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei

• Trump open to meeting Iran's Khamenei for diplomacy
• Rubio says US wants Europe to adapt alliance to new realities
• Rubio notes Putin may focus on Donetsk in Ukraine war

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump would be willing to meet Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei if such an outreach were proposed, underscoring what he described as a diplomacy-first approach to resolving global disputes.

Trump and a possible meeting with Khamenei

Speaking to Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Rubio made clear that Trump sees dialogue as a tool rather than a concession. “I’m pretty confident in saying that if the Ayatollah said tomorrow he wanted to meet with President Trump, the president would meet him, not because he agrees with the Ayatollah, but because he thinks that’s the way you solve problems in the world. He doesn’t feel meeting some is a concession,” Rubio said.

Rubio added that Trump would rather pursue a negotiated settlement with Tehran than allow tensions to spiral. He defended the decision to send a second US aircraft carrier to the Middle East, characterising the move as a preventive measure aimed at discouraging further escalation by Iran.

Transatlantic ties and shifting alliances

While addressing US-Iran tensions, Rubio also used the Munich forum to speak about Washington’s relationship with Europe. He stressed that the United States remains invested in Europe’s success. “We want Europe to prosper because we’re interconnected in so many different ways, and because our alliance is so critical,” he said.

However, he insisted that the partnership must adapt to new realities. “The alliance has to change,” Rubio said. “When we come off as urgent or even critical about decisions that Europe has failed to make or made, it is because we care.”

According to Rubio, the US and Europe share a common heritage. He described both sides as “heirs to the same civilisation” rooted in history, Christian faith, culture and language. Yet he paired that message with a warning that Washington does not intend “in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West’s managed decline.”

On migration, Rubio cautioned that Europe faces “an unprecedented wave of mass migration that threatens the cohesion of our societies,” urging leaders to confront internal weaknesses.

Ukraine war and broader security concerns

Turning to the war in Ukraine, Rubio suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ambitions may have narrowed, indicating Moscow could now be focused on consolidating control over the remaining 20 percent of the Donetsk region not yet held by its forces.

His remarks came amid ongoing strains between Washington and European capitals over tariffs, security burdens and strategic direction. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently called for Europe to bolster its autonomy, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was reassured by Rubio’s tone but cautioned that “some lines have been crossed that cannot be uncrossed.” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also urged Europe not to become complacent about defence.

Despite underlying tensions, Rubio’s speech drew strong applause. Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the Munich Security Conference, later remarked that there had been a “sigh of relief” in the hall, interpreting the address as signalling cooperation rather than a breakdown in ties.