In a speech at the State Department, Rubio insisted that Washington is firmly advancing its military objectives to neutralize the threat posed by the clerical system in Tehran.
The conflict escalated dramatically after February 28, when United States and Israel forces attacked Iranian territory, managing to kill the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since then, Iran has responded by launching massive waves of drones and missiles against various targets, including Israel, Gulf monarchies, Azerbaijan, and Cyprus, hitting locations where U.S. military bases operate. Rubio described these actions as deliberate attacks against civilian populations and energy infrastructures of neighboring countries.
The Secretary of State was adamant in pointing out that the main purpose of the current military intervention is to destroy Iran's operational capacity to carry out these types of aggressions. "We are well on our way to achieving it," stated the diplomat, emphasizing that the world is witnessing the real danger emanating from the Islamic Republic.
During the event, which paid tribute to hostages and unjustly detained American citizens, the case of Robert Levinson was recalled, a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iranian territory in 2007. Although initially said to be investigating cigarette smuggling, it later emerged that he was collaborating with the CIA on an unauthorized mission. For Rubio, Levinson's fate, whose death was officially linked to the Tehran government in 2020, is irrefutable proof of the true nature of the regime that the international community is dealing with.