US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has offered a detailed defence of Washington's military strike on Iran, calling it the “last best chance” to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and build what he described as a dangerous conventional shield of missiles and drones.
In a video message posted by the White House on X, Rubio is seen clarifying why the United States acted when it did and justified the continuing military operations in Iran.
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— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) April 1, 2026
“Many Americans are asking, why did the United States have to attack Iran now? Well, let me explain,” Rubio said in the video. “Iran wants to have nuclear weapons. Of that, there is zero doubt.” He insisted that Tehran's nuclear activities go beyond peaceful energy use, noting that “that's not what Iran has done. They build the reactors and their facilities deep in the mountains, away from the public glare, and they want to enrich that material.”
Rubio also emphasised that Iran had repeatedly rejected offers to pursue a civilian nuclear programme without weaponisation. “Iran turned it down every time,” he said, underscoring what he calls Tehran's unwillingness to embrace transparent, internationally supervised nuclear activities.
The secretary of state framed the strike as not only necessary to impede Iran's nuclear progress but also to dismantle its growing arsenal of conventional weapons. “We were on the verge of an Iran that had so many missiles and so many drones that no one could do anything about their nuclear weapons programme in the future. That was an intolerable risk,” Rubio said. “This was our last best chance to eliminate that conventional threat.”
Rubio further detailed US objectives in ongoing military operations, framing them as essential for forcing Tehran to negotiate seriously. “The goal is to destroy their conventional missiles and their drone programme so they can't hide behind it and finally have to deal with the world seriously about never ever having nuclear weapons,” he said.
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In a related social media post, Rubio also praised President Trump's leadership and clear objectives: “President Trump delivered a powerful speech tonight. He was clear about our objectives in Iran: destroy their weapons factories, destroy their navy, destroy their air force and destroy their chances of ever having a nuclear weapon.”
The administration's explanation comes as the conflict enters its fifth week, with US officials maintaining that the military campaign aims to protect global security and curb Iran's nuclear ambitions before it becomes irreversible
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