WASHINGTON, March 2 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio deplored on Monday Iran's targeting of civil facilities, including airports and hotels, in the Gulf region.
In remarks to reporters after an interpellation before the Congress, Rubio said that Iran attacks "our" embassies and facilities which are not related to war or army.
"They're attacking facilities that have nothing to do with war or with military, and that's weakened Iran," Rubio said. "That's Iran despite years of sanctions. Imagine a year from now or a year and a half from now, the capabilities they would have to inflict damage on us." "They (Iran) are producing, by some estimates, over 100 of these missiles a month. Compare that to the six or seven interceptors that can be built a month." He went to say that they can build 100 of these a month, not to mention the 1000s of one-way attack drones that they also have. They've been doing this for a very long time, and by the way, they've been doing it under sanction. "You see the attacks they're conducting right now." They're attacking airports, they're attacking hotels, they're hitting not just military bases, he said. "Imagine a year from now, or a year and a half from now, the capabilities they would have to inflict damage on us," he noted.
It's an unacceptable risk, especially in the hands of a regime that's run by radical clerics. "The Ayatollah is a radical was a radical cleric. That entire regime is led by radical clerics who don't make geopolitical decisions," Rubio said. They make decisions on the basis of theology, their view of theology, which is an apocalyptic one that has to be taken very seriously as well. So that was the purpose for what this operation is all about. That's what it's focused on. As the President said earlier today, it is on or ahead of schedule. "I will defer to the Department of War to discuss the progress being made at a tactical level. But it was the right decision and an important decision for the safety and security of the world," he stated.
He warned that Iran could "shut off 20 per cent of global energy", adding the Trump administration would start to take steps to "mitigate" the impact of the threat.
The planned goal in Iran could be achieved without sending ground force.
The strongest strikes have not been launched yet, but they will be in the next phase, he said.
In a common statement, the US, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE deplored strongly the random and reckless missile attacks launched by Iran against sovereign countries in different parts of the region. (end) asj.hm