U.S. Secretary of State: During Trump's Presidency, 'Nuclear Iran' Will Not Happen

Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, states that under Donald Trump's presidency, Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons. In an interview published on Thursday, February 21, on X (formerly Twitter), he accused the Iranian government of using every dollar it receives for its weapons program and 'supporting terrorism.' He emphasized that Iran will never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons to 'hold the world hostage' and 'potentially attack Israel.' The U.S. Secretary of State said all 'destabilizing' events in the Middle East, including Houthi attacks on ships and the activities of extremist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and militias in Iraq, which he claims 'attack Israel and the U.S.,' are financially supported by Iran. Rubio referred to President Trump's directive to restore maximum pressure on Iran, questioning, 'Why should we allow them (the Iranian government) to acquire more money to use for such things?' Regarding Trump's orders to his advisors in case Iran attempts to assassinate him, he noted that he would not discuss tactics and methods but added, 'It is enough to say that if the United States decides to take such action, it can bring an end to the Iranian regime.' Trump stated on Tuesday, February 5, that he had given instructions to his advisors that if Iran attempts to assassinate him, it should be 'wiped out and nothing should remain.' On the same day, after issuing a memo to restore 'maximum pressure' on Iran, he mentioned that his directive in this regard is very strict, but he is willing to meet with the Iranian president to encourage Tehran to stop its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Marco Rubio, emphasizing that the U.S. President is a guardian of peace, added, 'But no one should be mistaken. During Donald Trump's presidency, there will be no nuclear Iran.' In another part of his interview with American journalist Catherine Herridge, published on X, he announced that a potential meeting between Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart depends on achieving progress in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Marco Rubio stated that in this week's meeting in Saudi Arabia, he told his Russian counterpart that 'as long as we do not know what the meeting (of the two leaders) is about, there will be no meeting.' He added that usually such meetings at the leader level are not held until a result or progress is achieved. Marco Rubio, along with Mike Waltz, the White House National Security Advisor, and Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's representative for the Middle East, met on February 19 with Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, and Yuri Ushakov, the political aide to the Russian President, in Riyadh, where they announced the formation of teams to negotiate the path to end the war in Ukraine. Trump dismissed Ukraine's concerns; a potential meeting with Putin in the coming days. Recently, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin announced they are ready to hold a meeting and session with each other. Marco Rubio also stated that the timing of the meeting (between the leaders) largely depends on whether we can make progress towards ending the war in Ukraine, and if we can, 'this meeting is the one that will lead to a signed agreement, and I think everyone should celebrate that President Trump is a peacemaker.' The U.S. Secretary of State emphasized after the Riyadh meeting that both sides of the war must make concessions to achieve peace. Donald Trump, who had a 90-minute phone conversation with the Russian President before sending his government officials to Riyadh to talk with Russian representatives, did not rule out meeting with Vladimir Putin before the end of this month (March 1). Trump has pressured for a quick agreement to end the war in Ukraine, but the tactics he has employed have worried Ukraine and European governments. Kyiv and European powers, which criticized the Riyadh meeting and the absence of a Ukrainian representative, fear that Russia and the U.S. may move towards an agreement that disregards their security interests. On March 1, Trump shocked Ukraine and its European allies by calling Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, a 'dictator' and criticizing his 'poor performance.' Ukraine and Europe emphasize that Russia was the aggressor in the full-scale invasion three years ago. The European Union has prepared a new and extensive sanctions package against Russia, which is set to be approved on March 25, exactly on the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. In the meantime, on February 21, Sergei Lavrov participated in a meeting on the sidelines of the 'Group of 20' in South Africa with Wang Yi, his Chinese counterpart. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the relationship between Russia and China is an important factor in strengthening international stability and preventing a slide into full confrontation. The Chinese Foreign Ministry's statement regarding the meeting in South Africa reminded that Wang Yi told the foreign ministers of the 'Group of 20' that 'China supports all worthy efforts for peace' and 'a window for peace' is opened for Ukraine. The 19 countries ranked among the world's largest economies, along with the European Union and the African Union, form the 'Group of 20.' The current presidency of this group is held by South Africa, which has declared its goal of bringing together developed or developing countries to create stability in the global economy and strengthen cooperation. Marco Rubio decided not to attend the two-day 'Group of 20' meeting in South Africa. The Trump administration has deemed some of the South African government's policies anti-American and has cut off financial aid to the country. However, Dana Brown, the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires in Pretoria, represented her country at the 'Group of 20' meeting.