President Trump told reporters the war with Iran will be “over very shortly” after Election Day, language that reads as a warning to Tehran as much as a promise to voters. The comment lands on day 216 of a conflict that began with strikes against Iran’s nuclear and military sites and has since dragged through ceasefires, broken deals, and renewed fighting. For a White House that campaigned on ending foreign wars, the message is simple: results are coming, just not yet.

Rubio has spent months laying the groundwork for that patience to run out. In May, he blasted Iran for “bombing commercial tankers,” calling it “just outrageous” and demanding the attacks “stop” or Iran face full diplomatic and economic isolation. By July, he was framing Trump’s approach in blunt terms, telling reporters the policy amounts to “a head for an eye,” a clear signal that any American or allied losses will draw a harsher response.