Rubio says Washington will ‘reexamine’ relations with NATO after Iran war

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington could see the "finish line" in the Iran war, which is now in its fifth week, and the U.S. will have to reexamine ties with NATO after the conflict.

"We can see the ​finish line. It's not today, it's not tomorrow, but it is coming," Rubio told Fox ​News Channel's "Hannity" show.

Rubio said there were messages being exchanged between Iran and the U.S. and there is the potential to have a "direct meeting at some point" between the two sides.

"There are messages being ​exchanged, there are talks going on. There is the potential for direct meeting at some point," Rubio ​said.

Rubio said "that there's nothing any government is doing, or any country in the world is doing now to help Iran that is in any way impeding our mission."

He added Washington will have ​to reexamine its relations ​with NATO after the ⁠Iran war.

"Ultimately, that's a decision for the president to make, and he'll have to make it," Rubio said.

"But I do think, unfortunately, we are going ​to have to reexamine whether or not this alliance that has served ​this country well ⁠for a while is still serving that purpose, or has it now become a one-way street where America is simply in a position to defend Europe, but when we need the help of our allies, ⁠they're going ​to deny us basing rights, and they're going to deny ​us overflight," he added in reference to use of military bases.

European leaders have refused to get directly involved in military attacks ​against Iran.

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posed a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East.