Rubio Warns Iran Against Military Response

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a strong warning regarding Iran’s potential military response to recent U.S. actions, labeling it as “the worst mistake they have ever made.”

President Donald Trump authorized airstrikes targeting three Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday. Following the strikes, Trump took to social media to declare that the missions were “successful.”

“We have completed a very successful attack on three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump stated, noting that “the full payload of the bomb has been dropped on the primary site, Fordow.”

Rubio, appearing on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, emphasized that the U.S. is not at war with Iran. He reflected on a prior communication where Trump asserted Iran shouldn’t develop nuclear weapons.

“This is not a war with Iran. It’s quite straightforward. Sixty-seven days ago, the U.S. President wrote to Iran stating, ‘You don’t have nuclear weapons. You’re not going to create a militarized nuclear program. Let’s negotiate.’

He accused Iran of not taking the negotiations seriously, indicating that their actions led to the current situation. Rubio argued that the responsibility lay with Iran, as they chose to disregard diplomatic efforts.

“The president said that if we couldn’t come to an agreement, we would have to address it differently. That’s what he did last night,” Rubio added. He described Iran’s decision as a significant mistake.

When asked if he anticipated retaliation from Iran, Rubio expressed skepticism about their awareness of the strikes. He suggested that any retaliatory action would be ill-advised but reiterated that the U.S. has not declared war.

“They didn’t even know what happened initially. By the time they recognized they had been attacked, it was already over,” he said. “It would be a terrible mistake if Iran decided to retaliate.”

Regarding future Iranian actions, Rubio stated that he couldn’t predict their next move. However, he cautioned that any further uranium enrichment would jeopardize Iran’s regime.

“If Iran is truly committed to becoming a nuclear power, it jeopardizes their regime,” he noted. “They have to choose: if they want a nuclear reactor for energy, that’s possible without enriching their own uranium.”

“But if it’s hidden deep underground, only accessible to inspectors when they allow it, that’s a different story.”