Secretary ​of State Marco Rubio attacked the International Criminal Court in a speech to a conservative legal group on ‌Friday, arguing for a muscular foreign policy and against international law restraining US actions.

Rubio’s speech to the Federalist Society in Washington, his first prepared remarks since Republicans were routed in the midterm elections on November 3, heightens speculation over whether he will leave his roles as national security adviser ​and top US diplomat to run for president in 2028, Reuters reported.

Rubio, who has at times sought to provide an intellectual justification ​for President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy, has firmly denied reports he will soon embark on a ⁠presidential campaign, but the Federalist Society is an occasional stop for Republican hopefuls.

He has dismissed criticisms that the Trump administration has ​broken international law by such actions as seizing Venezuelan then-President Nicolas Maduro and striking boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific that ​it says were carrying drugs.

In his speech, Rubio said the goal of the US-Israeli war against Iran was to prevent Tehran from ever developing a nuclear weapon, which he said was particularly urgent because the Islamic Republic’s “radical Shia clerics” had an “expansionist mentality.”

He contrasted this with the government of North Korea’s ​Kim Jong Un, whom Trump has met three times. “I’m not excusing the terrible things that have happened there,” Rubio said of ​North Korea. “I’m just saying he (Kim) is not expansionist. He’s not trying to invade Japan or, you know, China or whatever.”

The US, Rubio said, would ‌not “submit to ⁠the sterile vision of radical judges or soulless global bureaucrats,” repeating his assertion that the court would try to prosecute US officials or service members that he used to justify sanctions against the ICC announced last month.

“Americans have never agreed to submit to the ICC’s authority, but that court and its allies in the global bureaucracy have appointed themselves judge and jury and executioner of the ​international order,” Rubio said.

The Trump ​administration has long been hostile ⁠to the Netherlands-based court, founded in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and has previously imposed sanctions on its prosecutors and judges. The ICC has received strong backing ​from most member states, which include all EU countries and all members of the NATO alliance ​apart from the ⁠United States and Turkey.

Washington has denounced the court over arrest warrants issued for Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and an investigation into actions of US soldiers in Afghanistan, which the ICC says is “deprioritized.”

The US sanctions, designed to stifle the ICC’s ability to operate, ⁠will take ​effect in April unless supporters of the Netherlands-based court can reach an ​agreement with the US to avert them.

Rubio suggested that if the court tried to enforce its rulings against Americans, Washington would respond with force. Quoting the Roman ​general Pompey, Rubio said the US response would be: “Stop quoting laws to men with swords.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to include European representatives in the next round of Ukraine peace talks, a US envoy said, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the prospect, calling it an important step towards advancing diplomatic efforts.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff announced the development following his meeting with Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday. He said European participation was important, as the countries were partners in efforts to resolve the conflict.

Witkoff and fellow US envoy Jared Kushner later travelled to Ireland, where they met with Zelenskiy on the sidelines of a European summit in Dublin.

The Ukrainian president welcomed the prospect of European involvement and expressed hope that the next round of negotiations would focus on de-escalation and possible ceasefire arrangements.

Zelenskiy said it was important to remove obstacles to the negotiations and establish an agenda that could help reduce tensions and move the conflict towards a peaceful resolution.

However, Putin stressed that Moscow had never opposed dialogue with European countries, claiming that European governments had been responsible for ending direct engagement with Russia.

The Russian president also warned that deploying Western troops in Ukraine under a potential peace agreement would be considered a security threat by Moscow and could lead to a resumption of hostilities.

Putin urged Washington to work with its European allies to determine whether they genuinely wanted peace or continued conflict in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov did not confirm European participation in the next round of talks and criticised the current European position on the conflict, describing it as a path towards an endless war.

The latest developments follow two days of trilateral negotiations between Russian, Ukrainian and US representatives in Abu Dhabi, marking the first direct US-mediated talks between Moscow and Kyiv in nine months.

Both sides reported some progress but acknowledged that major disagreements remain, particularly over territorial issues. Russia currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine, while Kyiv continues to reject surrendering the remaining parts of the eastern Donbas region.

Separately, Zelenskiy raised concerns over restrictions affecting Starshield satellite communications, saying the disruptions had affected the entire front line. The Ukrainian president warned that limitations on the US-made system could have significant implications for Ukraine’s military operations.

The developments highlight continued diplomatic efforts to end the war, although major differences between Russia, Ukraine and their Western partners remain unresolved.

US President Donald Trump has said further American military strikes against Iran are “highly unlikely”, signalling a possible shift towards de-escalation as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict gather momentum.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said Iran was effectively defeated militarily and suggested Washington was prepared to maintain the current situation while negotiations continued.

“Iran militarily is effectively over,” Trump said, adding that there was “positive momentum” behind efforts to reach an agreement.

“We’re just keeping it the status quo,” he said, explaining that the decision was largely being taken at the request of neighbouring countries.

Although Trump played down the prospect of renewed attacks, he warned that US forces remained prepared to respond if circumstances changed.

“We’re locked and loaded,” he said, while describing further strikes as “highly unlikely”.

The comments come amid growing pressure on the Trump administration to bring the conflict to an end, following bruising midterm election results for Republicans last week. 

Several senior party figures, including Vice-President JD Vance, have pointed to the war as a factor behind the party’s poor performance.

Trump had previously indicated that US forces carried out what he described as limited strikes on an Iranian island near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. 

However, in a television interview broadcast on Sunday, he said he currently saw no reason to escalate the military campaign.

He also stopped short of formally declaring the war over, arguing that Washington still had to protect its Gulf allies from possible Iranian attacks.

The US naval blockade of Iranian ports, he suggested, was helping maintain security across the region.

Global oil prices fell further following Trump’s latest remarks, with Brent crude dropping more than 1% to around $91.50 a barrel, while US crude also declined.

Gulf diplomacy intensifies

Trump’s comments followed a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani at the White House on Monday.

The US president described their discussions as excellent, while the Qatari leader said he had held positive talks with Trump and Vance on reaching an agreement and restoring regional peace.

Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have largely been conducted through intermediaries since the war erupted following joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran in February.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are among Washington’s Gulf partners that have been targeted by Iranian attacks during the conflict, while security concerns have also caused significant disruption to regional air travel.

Political pressure mounts in Washington

Meanwhile, the war is generating further political tensions in Washington.

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie on Monday announced plans to force a House of Representatives vote this week on impeaching Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over his handling of the conflict.

Hegseth, who has received Trump’s backing, dismissed the threat, describing Massie’s effort as a “sham”.

The impeachment initiative is unlikely to succeed while Republicans retain control of Congress. However, Democrats have indicated they could pursue the matter when the new congressional session begins in January.

For Trump, the challenge is increasingly twofold: finding a diplomatic exit from the conflict while managing mounting political pressure at home and reassuring US allies across the Gulf.