"I think regimes, including that one in Iran, have learned that when you start shooting people in the head with snipers, it's effective," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a congressional hearing on Wednesday, estimating the death toll from Iran's crackdown on protestors this month was "in the thousands."
"I mean, it works, and they've done it, and it's horrifying," he added. "That regime is probably weaker than it has ever been, and the core problem they face, unlike the protests you saw in the past on some other topics, is that they don't have a way to address the core complaints of the protesters, which is that their economy is in collapse."
"The protests may have ebbed, but they will spark up again in the future, because this regime, unless they are willing to change and/or leave, have no way of addressing the legitimate and consistent complaints of the people of Iran who deserve better," Rubio said.