US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has again defended the joint US-Israel strikes on Iran, saying the world would be safer if Iran’s radical clerics no longer had access to weapons of mass destruction.
“Iran is run by lunatics, religious fanatic lunatics. They have an ambition to have nuclear weapons. They intend to develop those nuclear weapons behind a program of missiles and drones and terrorism that the world will not be able to touch them for fear of those things. And this is the weakest they've ever been. Now is the time to go after them. The President made the decision to go after them, take away their missiles, take away their navy, take away their drones, take away their ability to make those things, so that they can never have a nuclear weapon... 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 see how they're using them now. Imagine how they would use them a year from now if they had more of these,” Rubio said.
Rubio echoed comments made by US President Donald Trump, who described Iran’s Islamist leadership as “crazy people” who would have used nuclear weapons if they had obtained them.
“If we didn't do what we're doing right now, you would've had a nuclear war and they would've taken out many countries because you know what? They're sick people. They're mentally ill, sick people. They're angry. They're crazy. They're sick. These people are crazy -- and if they had a nuclear weapon, they would've used it,” Trump said during a news conference on Tuesday night (local time).
Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Trump, also praised the President for acting against the Iranian regime. “Roadside bombs coming out of Iran have maimed and killed hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans. They mean it when they say 'death to America.' I'm glad we didn't let it go further. I'm glad we didn't let them build more missiles,” he said.
Speaker Mike Johnson said the threat from Iran and its possible nuclear capability was immediate and serious. “Iran was building ballistic missiles at a speed and scale exceeding the ability of our regional allies to respond, creating an imminent, serious threat and giving the regime cover to continue their nuclear ambitions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Admiral Cooper, chief of United States Central Command, said the US and Israeli air forces were dominating the skies and that one-way attack drones had achieved significant success.
"U.S. Air Forces are doing what they do best: executing a high volume of air strikes right into Iran. Operationally, the two most powerful air forces in the world, the U.S. and Israel, are dominating the skies over the world's largest state sponsor of terror. Also, for the first time, U.S. Central Command's drone task force, called Task Force Scorpion Strike, launched countless one-way attack drones, achieving massive effects. Our military objectives are crystal clear, and our people are executing an immensely complex and historic mission with relentless lethality, conviction, and professionalism. And we've just begun. But I have the utmost confidence that we, alongside our partners, will absolutely achieve our military objectives," he said.
The clash in the Middle East has now entered its fifth day after the joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei along with several other key figures in the country. In response, Tehran has carried out retaliatory strikes targeting American military bases and Israeli assets across the region.
Also read: If need be US Navy will protect Middle East ships: Trump
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