Athens, Greece, October 8 (ANI): U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has asserted that Iran will be permanently barred from obtaining nuclear weapons under President Donald Trump, while accusing Tehran of amassing an extensive stockpile of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial systems designed to shield its nuclear program from foreign military intervention.
Addressing a joint media briefing alongside Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis in Athens, Rubio stressed that Washington’s stance remains unyielding despite ongoing speculation over whether the United States might tolerate restricted uranium enrichment by Tehran under a potential agreement.
“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, simple, period and end of story,” Rubio said.
While withholding specific parameters concerning acceptable levels of nuclear activity during potential diplomatic negotiations, the secretary reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains the administration’s primary objective.
“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.
Rubio made the remarks in response to a question about recent statements by Vice President JD Vance emphasizing that Tehran must demonstrate tangible commitments regarding its enrichment capabilities.
The top American diplomat contended that Tehran deliberately pursued conventional military strength to create a deterrent shield protecting its nuclear sites from external airstrikes.
According to Rubio, the Iranian strategy relied on stockpiling vast quantities of missiles and drones capable of inflicting catastrophic retaliation on any nation attempting to halt its nuclear ambitions.
He maintained that the Trump administration aggressively intervened to dismantle this tactical deterrent.
“He destroyed their drone program, 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, Rubio insisted that Iran’s strategic posture has been severely weakened, stripping Tehran of the 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 assessment of the Iranian economy, attributing the nation’s worsening fiscal crisis to the misrule of its governing elite.
He observed that international sanctions continue to exert severe 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 allegedly squandering national wealth on regional proxy groups rather than channeling funds into domestic development and public welfare.
Specifically, Rubio identified Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and militias operating from Iraq as beneficiaries of Iranian financial support.
In addition to regional security matters, he said the Strait of Hormuz remains fully operational, noting that oil transit volumes through the critical maritime chokepoint have nearly returned to pre-conflict levels.
“There’s almost as much oil flowing out now as there was before this conflict began,” he said.
Rubio’s wide-ranging remarks were delivered during discussions with Greece that also covered maritime security, energy supplies and the consequences of instability in the Middle East. (ANI)
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