Rubio went on to argue that the regime’s intent was evident through its actions. “Why would you bury nuclear facilities 300 feet underground inside a mountain? Why would you stockpile uranium enriched to 60% purity when the only nations that do that are the ones building or maintaining nuclear weapons?” he asked. “They are preparing to go to 90%. You don’t need 60% enriched uranium for anything other than a bomb.”
Brennan interjected, citing the March testimony of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who told Congress that intelligence assessments did not indicate Iran had yet ordered the construction of a nuclear weapon. “So has anything changed since Director Gabbard’s testimony?” Brennan asked.
Rubio shot back that Brennan was misrepresenting the intelligence process. “That’s not how intelligence is read. That’s not how it’s used. This is not a court of law where someone has to sign an order to make it real. You judge by capability and trajectory. And Iran has both.”
He then pointed to findings by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which recently reported that Iran had failed to explain the presence of enriched uranium at undeclared nuclear sites. “The Board of Governors concluded that Iran’s lack of cooperation since 2019 amounts to non-compliance,” Rubio noted. “That alone is a red flag for any serious observer.”
Rubio also dismissed the notion that Iran’s space program was for peaceful purposes. “Is Iran going to the moon? Of course not,” he said sarcastically. “They’re developing intercontinental ballistic missile capability — not for weather balloons, but to carry a warhead.”
Throughout the interview, Rubio repeatedly returned to what he described as the broader strategic threat posed by Tehran. “This is a regime that funds proxies, launches terror attacks, and destabilizes the Middle East. And now they’re on the threshold of having a nuclear weapon. That’s a line we cannot allow them to cross.”
The interview concluded with Rubio reinforcing the administration’s argument that military action was necessary to stop Iran’s nuclear progress. “They’ve got the uranium. They’ve got the centrifuges. They’ve got the missiles. And now they’ve been warned. If they cross the line, the consequences will be swift.”