Rubio: Trump Will Not Tolerate Existence of Iranian Operational Base in Western Hemisphere

Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated on Thursday, March 14, that Donald Trump, the President of the United States, will never tolerate the existence of an operational base of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Western Hemisphere. In an interview with Fox News, Rubio sharply criticized the 'regime' of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, stating that his regime has friendly relations with the Islamic Republic, has invited it to Venezuela, and wants it to be an 'operational base' of the Iranian government in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. Secretary of State added that the Maduro regime continues to invite the Iranian government to establish an operational base in Venezuela, but Donald Trump will never tolerate such a base in Venezuela or any other point in the Western Hemisphere. Rubio further mentioned that the Maduro regime supports drug trafficking cartels, especially in Colombia, and that the Iranian government is also related to this issue. Simultaneously with Marco Rubio's statements on Thursday, the United States continued its maximum pressure policy against the Islamic Republic by sanctioning Mohsen Paknejad, the Minister of Oil, and several companies and oil tankers involved in selling Iranian oil. Following Donald Trump's return to the White House, the United States has revived its maximum pressure policy against the Islamic Republic to counter its nuclear and military activities and to end its support for terrorist groups in the Middle East.