Rubio's assessment of Iran

Rubio held a press conference on the margins of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Atlanta.

Stating that US President Donald Trump "does not prefer" to solve Iran-related issues with military intervention, Rubio said, "If he wanted, he could have done this weeks, even months ago." he said.

Rubio said, "He chose to resolve the issue through diplomatic means. But what the President wants to convey to you is his unwavering confidence that we have the power and ability to do so if a military intervention is necessary. We have what it takes to succeed, but we prefer to resolve matters peacefully." he said.

Stating that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) currently continues to protect commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio said: "Almost every day or every other day, we shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles or missiles targeting ships carrying goods to or from these countries, so we are already providing this protection." he said.

The US Secretary of State said that with his attitude, Iran said, "If we do not get what we want, we will not only blow up the ships, but also destroy the energy infrastructure of our neighbors in the entire region." He claimed that he gave the message.

Stating that an Iran with nuclear weapons would further increase this threat, Rubio said, "Imagine if Iran had any weapon of mass destruction, whether chemical, biological or nuclear. If they had them, what would they threaten their neighbors with?" he asked.

"The dialogue never stopped completely."

US Secretary of State Rubio said he did not know if there was a timeline for ceasefire talks with Iran at the moment, but that dialogue between the two countries had never completely ceased. "An active process of dialogue continues, in some cases directly and often through intermediaries. The President's approach to problems anywhere in the world is to resolve them diplomatically and peacefully, if possible," Rubio said. he said.

Expressing that Trump is aware that there are problems in the world that cannot be solved peacefully, Rubio stated that they are open to a diplomatic solution as much as possible.

Rubio said about the Tehran administration, "Iran is a country and regime that is at the center of all instabilities in the Middle East." he said.

Claiming that groups such as Hezbollah and the Houthis could not exist without Iran, Rubio cited the Tehran administration as the cause of the problems in countries such as Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.