Rubio justifies war on Iran with economic pressure and nuclear threat

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the war on Iran, arguing that economic pressure has severely damaged the Iranian regime, and repeating Washington's accusations that Tehran seeks to acquire a nuclear weapon, in a speech at the annual conference of the Federal Bar Association.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in new remarks, presented Washington's justifications for the war on Iran, arguing that economic pressure has severely damaged the Iranian regime, to the point that expanding military operations is "unnecessary" at this stage, and repeating US accusations that Tehran seeks to acquire a nuclear weapon. In a speech at the annual conference of the Federal Bar Association in Washington on Friday evening, Rubio said that achieving what he called "victory" does not necessarily require more strikes, but rather ensuring that Iran does not possess a nuclear weapon, whether by depriving it of the funds or equipment needed to develop it. Rubio sought to portray the Iranian nuclear program as an imminent threat, based on uranium enrichment levels and Iranian missile development. He also warned that Tehran's possession of a nuclear weapon would give it the ability to threaten international navigation and subject regional states to constant blackmail. In defending the decision for war, Rubio acknowledged that it is unpopular, but said President Donald Trump chose to deal with the Iranian file rather than leave it to the next administration.