When asked what he believed to be the main obstacle to reaching an agreement with the Iranian government, he replied, \u201cWell, other than the fact that the country\u2019s run by radical Shia clerics \u2013 that\u2019s a pretty big impediment.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n He said Iran\u2019s leadership is internally divided between political officials and hardline factions.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n \u201cThey\u2019re deeply fractured internally,\u201d he commented<\/p>\n<\/section>\n\n Rubio further explained, \u201cOne of the impediments here is that our negotiators aren\u2019t just negotiating with Iranians. \u00a0Those Iranians then have to negotiate with other Iranians in order to figure out what they can agree to, what they can offer, what they\u2019re willing to do, even who they\u2019re willing to meet with.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n When discussing the topic of the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio said that while Iran has referenced opening the Strait in talks, the US would reject any arrangement that gives Tehran control over passage or allows it to impose fees or conditions.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n\n He stressed that the strait is an international waterway and warned that allowing Iran to regulate access or establish a toll system would set a global precedent that other countries could follow, potentially undermining international maritime rules.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Rubio asserted that the nuclear issue is the central reason for the current crisis and described Iran as seeking to expand its regional influence through groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iraqi militias. He warned that a nuclear-armed Iran would significantly increase the regional threat.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n \u201cIf Iran was just a radical country run by radical people but \u2013 it would still be a problem, but they are revolutionary. \u00a0In essence, they seek to expand and export their revolution, not just what they do in Iran.\u201d He continued, \u201cThey don\u2019t just seek to dominate Iran; they seek to dominate the region. \u00a0And imagine that with a nuclear weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Rubio went further to stress the point, \u201cImagine if those same people had access to a nuclear weapon. \u00a0They would hold the whole region hostage. \u00a0We wouldn\u2019t be able to do anything about Hezbollah, we wouldn\u2019t be able to do anything about Hamas, we wouldn\u2019t be able to do anything about the Shia militias in Iraq, because they\u2019d be sitting there with a nuclear weapon saying we are untouchable.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n On Lebanon, Rubio said Israel\u2019s military activity is focused on Hezbollah rather than the Lebanese state and said efforts are underway to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Rubio said both Israel and Lebanon ultimately agree that the goal is for the Lebanese Armed Forces to be capable of dismantling Hezbollah within Lebanon.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n He said the US is working toward a system in which vetted Lebanese military units are trained and equipped to take action against Hezbollah, with the aim of preventing the need for Israeli operations inside Lebanese territory.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n \u201cI think what I have perceived from this \u2013 and it\u2019s been very successful \u2013 is both the Lebanese and the Israelis seek peace. \u00a0They have no problem with one another,\u201dRubio said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Rubio explained that Israel does not have territorial claims in Lebanon and that its conflict is with Hezbollah, not the Lebanese state. He said Lebanese officials have also acknowledged Hezbollah as a domestic problem.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Rubio added that ceasefire efforts focus on maintaining calm while allowing Israel to carry out defensive actions in response to imminent or ongoing threats from Hezbollah, which he said continues to seek to disrupt the truce.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n When asked if he saw a scenario where Lebanon would join the Abraham Accords, Rubio replied that \u201cwe\u2019re not there yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n In the case of Gaza, he said any ceasefire agreement depends on Hamas agreeing to disarm and demilitarize, which he admitted has not yet occurred. He noted that there have been some \u201cpromising signs\u201d over the weekend and said Egypt and Turkey have been involved in the process.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Rubio declined to say whether the Trump administration would support Israel resuming military operations in Gaza if Hamas refuses to disarm. He said he would not speculate on hypothetical scenarios and stressed that the preferred outcome is Hamas demilitarization and the establishment of a Palestinian security force, backed by an international force, to secure Gaza.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Rubio also discussed Cuba, saying it is a failing state and a location used by US adversaries, including Russia and China, for regional activity near the United States.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n On China, he said, intellectual property theft remains an ongoing issue affecting both economic and national security interests.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\nRubio: Iran aims to expand revolutionary influence across region<\/strong><\/h3>\n