Iran will never have nuclear weapon, says US Secretary of State Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in Athens that Iran will never acquire nuclear weapons under President Donald Trump. He highlighted severe economic pressure on Tehran, condemned its support for regional groups, and noted that oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have nearly rebounded.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has asserted that Iran will be permanently barred from obtaining nuclear weapons under President Donald Trump, simultaneously accusing Tehran of amassing an extensive stockpile of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial systems designed to insulate its atomic programme from foreign military intervention. Addressing a joint media briefing alongside Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis in Athens, Secretary Rubio stressed that Washington's stance remains unyielding despite ongoing speculation regarding whether the United States might tolerate restricted uranium enrichment by Tehran within the framework of a prospective accord.

"Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, simple, period and end of story," Rubio said. While withholding specific parameters concerning acceptable thresholds of nuclear activity during potential diplomatic negotiations, the Secretary reiterated that preventing Iranian nuclear acquisition remains the primary directive of the administration.

"Anything they agree to that would be acceptable to the United States has to be something that ensures that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon," he said. Secretary Rubio made these declarations in response to an inquiry regarding recent statements by Vice President JD Vance emphasising that Tehran must demonstrate tangible commitments regarding its enrichment capabilities.

The top American diplomat contended that Tehran deliberately pursued conventional military supremacy to create a deterrent shield protecting its nuclear sites from external air strikes. According to Secretary Rubio, the Iranian strategy relied on hoarding vast quantities of missiles and drones capable of inflicting catastrophic retaliation upon any nation attempting to halt its atomic ambitions.

He maintained that the Trump administration aggressively intervened to dismantle this tactical deterrent. "He destroyed their drone programme, their drone manufacturing capability," Rubio said, referring to Trump.

"He destroyed their missile capability. He severely eroded both of those capabilities in terms of current launchers. He destroyed their navy. He destroyed their air force." These claims concerning the scale of the damage inflicted on Iranian military assets were not independently substantiated during the press briefing.

Nevertheless, Secretary Rubio insisted that Iran's strategic posture has severely weakened, stripping Tehran of its conventional capability to shield its nuclear installations from punitive action. "They will never have a nuclear weapon, period, not as long as President Trump is in office," he said.

Furthermore, the Secretary of State delivered a scathing evaluation of the Iranian domestic economy, attributing the nation's compounding fiscal crisis entirely to the misrule of its governing elite. He observed that punishing international sanctions continue to exert crushing financial pressure on Tehran, forecasting an even steeper economic decline.

"Their economy is in total and complete freefall," Rubio said. The Secretary denounced the regime for squandering national wealth on regional proxy groups rather than channelling funds into domestic development and public welfare.

Specifically, Secretary Rubio identified Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and militias operating from Iraq as the beneficiaries of Iranian financial support. In addition to regional security matters, he reported that the Strait of Hormuz remains fully operational, noting that petroleum transit volumes through the critical maritime bottleneck have nearly rebounded to pre-conflict levels.

"There's almost as much oil flowing out now as there was before this conflict began," he said. Secretary Rubio's wide-ranging statements were delivered during discussions with Greece that also covered maritime security, energy supplies and the consequences of instability in the Middle East. (ANI)