US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the United States sees no need to resume major combat operations against Iran, arguing that sanctions and a naval blockade are inflicting enough economic damage to achieve Washington's aims.

“The economic campaign [against Iran] is so devastating that right now there is no need for major combat operations,” Mr Rubio told reporters in Paris on Tuesday after two days of talks with foreign ministers from the G7 group of nations, according to Reuters.

He said President Donald Trump had concluded that Washington could reach its objectives “by economic means and economic pressure”, and rejected suggestions that the pause in large-scale strikes amounted to a stalemate. “The economic pain that is being inflicted on Iran right now is extraordinary and it compounds. It's growing every day,” he said.

Military option remains open

Mr Rubio stressed that restraint was conditional, warning that US forces remained ready to respond if Tehran crossed American red lines. He said Iran had never before faced such difficulty selling energy on world markets. “Never has Iran ever faced the inability to sell energy in the global market like they are today,” he said.

The remarks followed Mr Trump's statement on Monday that he would hold off new military strikes against Iran for now, after appeals from Gulf states including Qatar, whose prime minister visited the White House for talks, AFP reported.

Tehran says its offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days remains on the table, but only if Washington meets its conditions, including sanctions relief and an end to the naval blockade. The war, which began with US and Israeli strikes on 28 February, is now in its ninth month, with mediation led by Qatar and Pakistan continuing.