The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, defended the military offensive against Iran and stated that President Donald Trump's decision to attack the military capabilities of the Iranian regime aims to prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons.
In statements released by the White House and posted on the social media platform X, Rubio described the Iranian leadership as a group of “religious fanatics” with nuclear ambitions and asserted that Washington has decided to take action to prevent them from developing such weaponry, according to a video shared on the social media platform X.
"Let me explain this to you in simple English, okay? Iran is ruled by lunatics—fanatically religious lunatics. They have the ambition to possess nuclear weapons. They intend to develop those nuclear weapons behind a program of missiles and drones and terrorism so that the world cannot touch them out of fear of those things," he stated.
Rubio stated that the current moment represents a strategic opportunity to weaken Tehran's military capabilities.
"And this is the moment when they are weaker than ever. Now is the time to go after them. The president made the decision to go after them, to take away their missiles, to take away their navy, to take away their drones, to take away their ability to manufacture these things, so that they can never have a nuclear weapon," he declared.
The head of U.S. diplomacy defended the White House's decision as a necessary measure for international security.
"That’s why the president made this decision. It was the right decision — and the world will be a safer place when these radical clerics no longer have access to these weapons. You can see how they are using them now. Imagine how they would use them in a year if they had more of them," he stated.
The statements come amid Operation "Epic Fury", the military offensive launched by the United States and Israel against facilities linked to Iran's military program and the strategic capabilities of the Tehran regime.
The military campaign began on February 28 and, as explained by the U.S. administration, aims to destroy Iran's ability to manufacture and deploy ballistic missiles and attack drones, as well as to prevent the country from developing a nuclear weapon.
In this context, Rubio recently reiterated that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains a central goal of Washington's strategy, stating that Iran "will never be able to have a nuclear weapon," as he mentioned in statements during the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.
The Secretary of State also defended that the operation was undertaken in response to what he described as an “absolutely imminent threat” from Iran against U.S. interests and forces.
According to the explanation, the intelligence assessment indicated that Tehran would respond quickly to an attack in the region and that waiting for a first strike would have put U.S. military personnel at risk.
Meanwhile, the conflict continues to generate political debate in Washington, where some lawmakers are questioning the decision to launch the offensive without prior authorization from Congress. Rubio has responded that the administration acted within the current legal framework and that the president has the authority to order such military operations, amid a political debate about the limits of presidential power in wartime.
In military matters, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that operations have significantly impacted Iran's naval presence in the region. According to the agency, Iran went from having eleven ships in the Gulf of Oman to having none following the attacks carried out during the offensive.
"Two days ago, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman; today it has none," stated the U.S. military command, which also asserted that for decades Tehran has harassed international maritime transport in that strategic area.
The Pentagon argues that the operation aims to reduce Iran's ability to project military power in the region and ensure the security of international maritime routes.
The military campaign is ongoing, and the Trump administration maintains that it will continue until the strategic objectives of neutralizing Iranian military capabilities, which are deemed a threat to the United States and its allies, are achieved.
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