New York [US], September 24 (ANI): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday (local time) said the international system was not functioning effectively and was unable to address several major conflicts and crises across the world.

He said a functional international system would have been able to deal with conflicts and tensions, including the war between Thailand and Cambodia, the potential conflict between India and Pakistan, the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, Sudan and Iran in the straits.

Addressing the press conference in New York, Rubio said, 'The international system is not in good shape right now...it would be great if we had a functional international system, for example, that could deal with a war between Thailand and Cambodia that occurred or the potential conflict between India and Pakistan or what's going on in the DRC in Rwanda or what's going on in Sudan or what's going on with Iran in the straits."

"Right now, we don't seem to have a functional international system that can address it. And in the absence of that, nation-states will act in their national interest... We will never put the international order above the interest of the United States," he said. 

Rubio said several leaders had also highlighted concerns over the current international framework, claiming that it had expanded beyond its original purpose. 

'I think multiple leaders...pointed to the fact that the international system is failing, and it's failing because it has grown beyond its mandate. It has grown beyond its intent. It's involved in all kinds of things that it shouldn't be involved in, and it's unable to solve virtually any major conflict in the world," he said.

While India and Pakistan engaged in hostilities in 2025 after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir killed 26 people, India launched decisive strikes targeting terror bases in Pakistan, with multiple terror bases destroyed. US President Donald Trump had repeatedly claimed credit for stopping hostilities between the countries; New Delhi has repeatedly rejected any third-party intervention in the cessation of military action, maintaining that the understanding was reached through direct bilateral channels between India and Pakistan.  

India had launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 last year as a decisive, targeted response to destroy terror infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK). The anti-terror operation was carried out to dismantle terror bases that were utilised to plan the horrific April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Following effective Indian strikes that dismantled key terror launchpads, the operation was paused on May 10 after a formal request from the Pakistani side. (ANI)