The US military has achieved its goal of destroying Iran's nuclear facilities and further actions of the US administration will depend on Tehran's reaction. This was announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an interview with Fox News.
"We achieved our goal. Our goal was to significantly undermine or destroy three nuclear facilities on Iranian soil", said the head of US diplomacy.
„Last night we struck three facilities related to the nuclear program and controlled by the Iranian regime. What happens next will depend on what Iran does next. If they attack us, it would be a terrible mistake on their part. They are very vulnerable, completely vulnerable. They don't control their airspace, they can't protect their airspace. They can't even protect their own leaders. So I think it would be a big mistake if they did something against us," he added.
The United States is calling on the Chinese government to convince Iran not to close the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio said.
“I urge the Chinese government in Beijing to call them on this issue, because they themselves are heavily dependent on the Strait of Hormuz for their oil,“ the secretary of state said.
Iran blocking the strait "would be a terrible mistake." He also claimed that such actions by Tehran would lead to a “large-scale escalation“, to which not only the United States but also other countries would be forced to respond.
The United States is ready to return to negotiations with Iran tomorrow, he declared.
“That offer is still on the table. We are ready to talk to them tomorrow and start working on resolving the conflict,“ Rubio said. “We are ready for a deal with Iran that would be in Tehran's interest, but requires them to give up their nuclear ambitions. Every country has the right to a civilian nuclear program, but Iran cannot enrich uranium to a high level".
The United States is not working to overthrow the regime in Iran, Rubio stressed.
"The Iranian authorities rejected the US proposal to develop a peaceful nuclear program. What we want to do now is to make sure that Iran never has nuclear weapons. If they want to have a civilian nuclear program, within the framework of which they will have nuclear power plants, as in many other countries around the world, they can do that. This is the deal that was offered to them. They rejected it. They played with us and did not respond to our proposals. "They disappeared in 10 days," the top US diplomat said.
Rubio expressed doubts about the peaceful purposes of Iran's space program, saying Tehran intends to create an intercontinental ballistic missile.
"They say they have a space program. This is not a space program, Iran is not going to go to the moon. They are developing a space program because they are trying to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles that could one day reach the United States," Rubio said.
Iran launched its space program in 2004. and is one of the 24 founding countries of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, established in 1959.
The United States currently has no plans to conduct new military operations against Iran, Rubio concluded.