Secretary of State says coming strikes will intensify as U.S. and Israeli forces target Iran’s missile and naval capabilities.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Monday that the United States is preparing to sharply intensify its military campaign against Iran, stating that the scope and power of upcoming strikes will increase significantly in the coming hours and days.
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Rubio delivered the remarks to reporters ahead of scheduled congressional briefings on Capitol Hill, appearing alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. The officials were set to meet first with members of the Senate and then the House.
The secretary said U.S. Central Command, in coordination with Israeli forces, is conducting what he described as the systematic dismantling of Iran’s missile infrastructure and naval capabilities.
“…hide behind the immunity of a massive short-term ballistic missile inventory, or the ability to make them or launch them. And so, CENTCOM, in a joint operation, is carrying out the systematic destruction of their missile belt, the destruction of their launchers, and the destruction of their ability to make these, as well as the destruction of their Navy,” Rubio said.
“From what I’ve been told by the Department of War, everything is on or ahead of schedule and proceeding toward these objectives. We have every confidence in the world that these objectives will be achieved.”
Rubio then indicated that a new phase of the campaign is imminent.
“The last point I would make is—and I said this yesterday, and I repeat—what’s about to happen… You’re about to see we’re going to unleash Chiang on these people in the next few hours and days,” he said.
“You’re really going to begin to perceive a change in the scope and intensity of these attacks as, frankly, the two most powerful air forces in the world take apart this terroristic regime, defang it, and take away its ability to threaten its neighbors or hide behind a zone of immunity that allows them to develop their nuclear ambitions.”
The phrase “unleash Chiang” historically refers to a 1950s American political slogan advocating removal of U.S. restrictions on Nationalist Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek, allowing him to attack mainland China. The call became associated with Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who was later relieved of command by President Harry Truman after publicly pushing for broader military action during the Korean War.
Rubio emphasized that the administration’s objective is to eliminate Iran’s capacity to threaten neighboring countries and to prevent the clerical leadership from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“This terroristic, radical, clerical-led regime cannot ever be allowed to have nuclear weapons,” Rubio said. “We saw what they were willing to do to their own people. They were willing to slaughter their own people in the streets. Imagine what they would do to us. Imagine what they would do to others.”
The escalation warning follows heightened tensions in the region, including a drone strike on the U.S. Consulate compound in Dubai earlier this week. U.S. officials have stated that personnel had been drawn down in advance and that no injuries were reported in that incident.
Administration officials maintain that the ongoing campaign is focused on dismantling Iran’s ballistic missile program and degrading its naval forces, which they say pose a threat to U.S. assets and regional allies throughout the Middle East.
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