Rubio Destroys CBS Host Over ‘Gotcha’ Question On Iran

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CBS host Margaret Brennan engaged in a contentious exchange regarding the confirmation of U.S. intelligence on whether Iran’s Supreme Leader had ordered the development of a nuclear weapon, with Rubio dismissing Brennan’s inquiry as “irrelevant.”

During the Face the Nation broadcast on Sunday, Brennan inquired of Rubio if the United States possessed “intelligence that the Supreme Leader had ordered weaponization” of uranium. Rubio, who also holds the position of National Security Advisor, responded with a sharp retort, asserting that the question of whether the Supreme Leader issued such an order was inconsequential, as the regime was already in pursuit of a nuclear weapon.

“That’s irrelevant. I see that question being asked in the media all the time. That’s an irrelevant question. They have everything they need to build a weapon,” Rubio stated.

The CBS host contended that the official ordering of weaponization was the “key point” in U.S. intelligence evaluations. Rubio countered, maintaining that this was not the case and claimed to have a superior understanding of the matter compared to Brennan.

“Why would you bury things in a mountain, 300 feet under the ground? Why would they have 60% enriched uranium? You don’t need 60% enriched uranium. The only countries in the world that have uranium at 60% are countries that possess nuclear weapons, because it can be swiftly converted to 90. They have all the necessary components. Why do they have a space program? Is Iran planning to go to the moon? No. They are attempting to develop an ICBM to potentially deliver a warhead,” Rubio elaborated.

Brennan referred to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s congressional testimony from March, which indicated that Iran had not ordered the construction of a nuclear weapon. She questioned Rubio on whether the U.S. intelligence community had discovered any new information since Gabbard’s testimony.

Rubio accused Brennan of misrepresenting the intelligence assessment.

“That’s an inaccurate representation of it. That’s not how intelligence is interpreted. That’s not how intelligence is utilized,” Rubio contended.

“The Board of Governors… determines that Iran’s numerous failures to meet its obligations since 2019 to offer the Agency complete and prompt cooperation concerning undeclared nuclear materials and activities at various undisclosed sites in Iran… amounts to non-compliance with its commitments under the Safeguards Agreement with the Agency,” the report stated.

In the interview, Rubio remarked: “They possess the delivery systems, they have the enrichment capabilities, and they have the highly enriched uranium that is stored. That is all we need to observe. Particularly in the hands of a regime that is already engaged in terrorism and proxies, as well as various other activities. They are the origin of all instability in the Middle East.”

In the aftermath of the U.S. attacks, the Iranian parliament made the decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for a significant portion of the world’s oil supply. During an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Rubio cautioned Iran against pursuing that course of action.

“I would urge the Chinese government in Beijing to take note of this situation, as they rely heavily on the Strait of Hormuz for their oil supply. Should they proceed with this decision, it would constitute yet another grave error. It would be tantamount to economic suicide for them, and we still have options available to address this matter,” Rubio stated to host Maria Bartiromo.

“Moreover, other nations should also consider the implications of this action. It would adversely impact the economies of other countries far more than it would ours. I believe it would represent a significant escalation that would warrant a response not only from us but also from other nations.”