Marco Rubio pushes back on Cory Booker’s 'US begging' claim: 'Iranians losing millions per day’

WASHINGTON, DC: Marco Rubio fired back at Sen. Cory Booker's claim that President Donald Trump was "begging" Iran's leaders for a peace deal.

The Secretary of State appeared to testify before Congress on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, for the first time since the beginning of the Iran war.

Speaking during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Rubio pressed that Iran has agreed to negotiate aspects of its nuclear program that it had refused to discuss even a month ago.

He also claimed that Mojtaba Khamenei, who took power after his father was killed in the initial US-Israeli assault on Iran, remains alive and is becoming more deeply involved in the country's affairs despite his continued public absence.

Rubio insists the US isn’t 'begging' Iran for deal

During the hearing, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) seized the opportunity to press Rubio over President Donald Trump’s failure to stop the prolonged Middle Eastern conflict.

He pointed to Iran's ability to choke off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a move that has sent energy prices soaring worldwide since shipping disruptions began in March.

“We are the strongest nation on the planet Earth, and we’re in a stalemate with Iran,” the New Jersey senator said. “And now we’re begging to get back into a deal that you all dragged back in the first place.”

The State Secretary vehemently fired back at Booker’s argument, claiming, “There’s no begging.”

“No one’s begging for anything here. The Iranians might be begging because they’re losing hundreds of millions of dollars per day,” he slammed.

Rubio claims Iran’s economy is in free fall

Rubio then went on to claim that Iran’s economy is in free fall as a result of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. “All of those factors, economic factors in Iran, are far worse today than they were six months ago, when those protests were happening,” he told Booker.

“They have hyperinflation. Their currency is completely devalued. They’re struggling to make payroll for their government workers,” he continued.

“And if it was up to the political class there, and I understand everybody there is sort of radical in some way, but if it was up to the people that actually like to go to elections and wear the suits and you see on TV, they probably make a deal tomorrow.”

Rubio also insisted that Iran’s military has also depleted since the United States’ Operation Fury. “I don’t know where you’re getting this perception that Iran is stronger. Iran has no navy, let alone having lost a substantial percentage of their defense-industrial base,” he continued.

“Iran has lost a substantial percentage of their missile launchers, and their economy is far worse — and I mean far worse — than it was 6-9 months ago,”

Booker refused to buy Rubio’s argument, questioning, “Mr. Rubio, you keep telling us how we’re winning the war.”

“The war’s over now,” Rubio interjected, to which the Congressman replied, “The war is not over. The American people see how we’re losing at the pump and with their costs, and yet this thing still has not been resolved.”