Rubio says Israel must act in its own ‘national interest’ when it comes to Iran

Asked whether the Trump administration supports an Israeli strike on Iran, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says, “Israel will always have to act in what they believe is their national interest and their national defense, so I’m not going to speak about whatever strategies they may [have] on this or any other topic.”

While not an explicit green light, the remark appears to be a departure from the Biden administration’s approach to such a possibility, in that it seemed to oppose the idea more clearly.

Despite Washington’s willingness to pursue a diplomatic path to dealing with the Iran nuclear threat, Rubio tells CBS’s “Face the Nation” that there has been no outreach from Iran.

“Ultimately, we’ve seen in the past that efforts that Iran has undertaken diplomatically have been only about how to extend the timeframe, but continue to enrich [weapons-grade uranium] — in addition to sponsor terrorism, in addition to building these long-range weapons, in addition to sowing instability throughout the region,” Rubio says, appearing to take a harder line on the Islamic Republic than Trump has publicly.

“Ideally, I would love to wake up one day and hear the news that Iran has decided not to pursue a nuclear weapon, not to sponsor terrorism, and re-engage in the world as a normal government. We’ve had no indication of any of that – not just now, but for 30 years,” Rubio adds.