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WASHINGTON — <\/span>Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to face a litany of questions Tuesday about the Trump administration’s fragile or stalling diplomatic efforts around the world when he appears for back-to-back hearings on Capitol Hill for the first time since the Iran war<\/a> began.<\/p>\n The former Republican senator will sit before House and Senate committees to make the State Department’s annual budget request. But the focus is likely to shift quickly to the already unsteady ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, which has been further tested<\/a> in recent days by back-and-forth attacks. <\/p>\n Cabinet members, including Rubio, have defended President Donald Trump’s decision to launch the conflict despite promises over the years not to engage in \u201cforever wars\u201d in the Middle East. That work has been made more difficult by Trump’s shifting goals for the conflict<\/a>. <\/p>\n While Rubio is testifying before Congress for the first time since the Iran war started on Feb. 28<\/a>, he took part in a classified briefing for lawmakers days after the first U.S. and Israeli strikes. He faced Democrats’ anger over the lack of congressional approval but strong support from most Republicans for taking action against one of America’s oldest adversaries.<\/p>\n In the two months since the war began, however, a small but growing faction of Republicans have joined Democrats in questioning the astronomical price tag<\/a> and overall economic consequences<\/a> of the conflict as they head into midterm elections in the fall. <\/p>\n Last month, the Senate managed to advance legislation<\/a> for the first time that would have forced Trump to withdraw from the conflict after GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy \u2014 fresh off a primary election loss<\/a> in which Trump endorsed his opponent \u2014 joined Democrats in pushing it forward. <\/p>\n The House also had scheduled a vote on a war powers resolution, but GOP leadership kept it from coming to the floor<\/a> after it became clear that the majority party would not have the numbers to defeat it.<\/p>\n The actions show the GOP is struggling to maintain political backing for Trump’s handling of the war as rank-and-file Republicans are increasingly willing to defy the president over the conflict.<\/p>\n Following his appearances Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Appropriations subcommittee responsible for the State Department, Rubio will return to the Hill on Wednesday to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and equivalent Senate Appropriations subcommittee. <\/p>\n Rubio \u2014 the son of Cuban immigrants \u2014 also is likely to be questioned about the administration\u2019s escalatory behavior toward Cuba, as Trump has hinted that the small island country could be the next U.S. target<\/a> after operations in Iran are wrapped up. <\/p>\n Despite a series of meetings<\/a> between U.S. and Cuban officials, Trump and Rubio have renewed threats<\/a> against the island’s government, which take on greater weight after the administration announced criminal charges<\/a> against former President Ra\u00fal Castro.<\/p>\n Over his congressional career and now as America’s top diplomat, Rubio has maintained that Cuba is a national security threat because of its ties to U.S. adversaries and that Trump is intent on addressing it.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Amiri reported from New York. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n