Rubio calls Islamic Republic top hostage taker, says US crippling missile power
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is engaged in an operation against what he called “the world’s leading hostage taker” and “the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism, the regime in Iran.”
Speaking on US Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, Rubio said the mission’s objectives are clear: “It is to destroy the ability of this regime to launch missiles, both by destroying their missiles and their launchers. Destroy the factories that make these missiles and destroy their navy.”
He accused Tehran of attempting to destabilize the region, saying, “They are trying to hold the world hostage. They are attacking their neighbors… their energy infrastructure, their civilian population. They’re attacking embassies. This is a terrorist government.”
Rubio said the United States was “well on our way to achieving that objective,” adding that “every single day, this regime in Iran has less missiles, has less launchers, their factories work less and their navy is being eviscerated.”
He also referenced the long-running case of former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who disappeared in Iran in 2007, calling it “a reminder of the nature of the regime that we’re dealing with in Tehran.”
Pro-regime crowd in Tehran held placards with images of Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, alongside late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during a gathering to show support amid the ongoing war between Iran and US-Israeli forces.
