Iran live updates: US wants China to do more to end Iran war, Rubio says

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. would urge China to take a more assertive role in resolving the Iran conflict during a high stakes meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

"It's in their interest to resolve this. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they're doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf," Rubio said during a pre-taped interview with Fox News.

The interview was taped on Air Force One on Tuesday while Rubio and Trump were on their way to Beijing. The interview was released on Wednesday.

"We've made clear to them, you know, that any support for Iran would obviously be detrimental for our relationship. That obviously is going to come up in this conversation," Rubio said.

"Economies are melting down because of this crisis in the Strait," he added. "They're going to be buying less Chinese product and the Chinese exports are going to drop precipitously," Rubio said.

U.S. intelligence has made assessments that Iran has retained significant missile launch capability and access to its stockpile of missiles according to a U.S. official.

That is in line with written testimony the Defense Intelligence Agency provided to Congress weeks ago that Iran still has a significant amount of missiles and drones in the wake of U.S. operations against Iran.

"Iran retains thousands of missiles and one-way attack UAVs that can threaten U.S. and partner forces throughout the region, despite degradations to its capabilities from both attrition and expenditure," Marine Lt. Gen. James Adams wrote in the testimony at the time.

He added that Iran's conventional military remains hampered by aging equipment and limited training, likely pushing Tehran to lean even harder into asymmetric tactics.

Separately, there are internal discussions underway that if the U.S. military resumes combat operations against Iran the name of the mission could shift from "Operation Epic Fury," to Operation Sledgehammer," according to a U.S. official. The Trump administration has previously announced that it considers Operation Epic Fury to have ended.

NBC News was first to report the potential of a name change for the operation should the U.S. resume combat operations against Iran.

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran "is on massive life support."

The Senate did not pass an Iran War Powers Resolution introduced by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., on Wednesday, marking the seventh time the Senate has failed to advance such a resolution in a vote of 49-50.

Another Republican has joined Democrats in voting to discharge the war powers resolution: Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. She joined Republican Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, along with all Democrats except Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., who once again voted with Republicans to block the resolution from advancing.

It comes as White House administration officials argue that the war in Iran is over given the April 8 ceasefire agreement, that President Donald Trump admitted was on massive life support, and congressional authorization is no longer necessary.

An F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 151, left, and an EA-18G Growler, attached to Electronic Attack Squadron 133, launch from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, May 9, 2026.
US Navy
No Congress has ever used the War Powers Resolution to force the executive branch to end hostilities, so while these efforts will continue, they face uphill battles. Another avenue comes from Murkowski who has been working on an authorization for use of military force (AUMF) for weeks to kickstart the process on consideration over whether Congress should formally approve of military action against Iran.

Yet still, Republicans refusing to break with Trump appear to have little appetite for that method as well with Senate Majority Leader John Thune arguing earlier this week an AUMF is not necessary.

"I don't think it's necessary at the moment, offensive measures have been suspended now there for about a month...I don't think there will probably be a lot of support for an AUMF right now," Thune said on Monday.

Ahead of his trip to China, President Donald Trump gave conflicting answers when asked on Tuesday if Beijing should intervene to help end the war with Iran.

"I don't think we need any help with Iran," he said at first. Minutes later, when Trump was asked if Chinese President Xi Jinping was the person who could revive the ceasefire, the president said he would like whatever help Xi can offer.

But, when pressed on Xi's possible help, Trump again said the U.S. did not need assistance. "They're defeated militarily, and they'll either do the right thing or we'll finish the job," Trump said.

Moments later, Trump added that he "wouldn't say Iran" is one of the topics he plans to discuss with Xi because the U.S. has it "under control."

"We're either going to make a deal or they're going to be decimated, one way or the other," Trump said.

Trump again dismissed economic concerns related to the ongoing war, suggesting inflation would fall 1.5% after the war ends amid what he predicted would be a "gusher of oil."

"And one way the other, it's going to work out very well. Going to work out very well. I think you have so much oil, you're going to have a gusher of oil like you've never had before," Trump said, once again stressing that he thought oil prices would have risen higher.

"And as soon as this war is over, which will not be long, you're going to see oil prices drop, and you're going to see a stock market, which is already at the highest point in history, go through the roof. You're going to see the golden age of America, frankly, and you're seeing it now," Trump said.

Asked about the progress of negotiations with Tehran, Trump said, "Well, we're going to see what happens. We're only making a good deal."

"But I believe that one way or the other, it's going to be very good for the American people, and I think actually very good for the Iranian people," Trump said.