Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies before multiple congressional panels as negotiations between the United States and Iran over ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz appear stalled. Across hearings, Rubio addresses President Trump’s fiscal 2027 budget request for the State Department alongside updates on the conflict in the region. The Hill reports that Rubio appears at House and Senate hearings in close succession, including sessions before the House Foreign Relations Committee and House Appropriations Committee, as well as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee. In the House hearings, Democrats question Rubio on both the administration’s budget priorities and the ongoing war with Iran, including concerns that U.S. efforts to secure a deal have not progressed as expected. In the Senate Foreign Relations Committee session, CBS News describes Rubio providing an update on the war in Iran, while the broader reporting characterizes the administration’s earlier optimism about reaching an agreement as confronting a roadblock. The hearings take place amid continuing turmoil in the Middle East and renewed attention on U.S. funding levels and diplomacy-related objectives for fiscal 2027.