Rubio: US not postured for ground forces in Iran, but ready for “all options”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is not currently preparing for a ground operation in Iran, stressing that the mission’s objectives can be achieved without deploying troops, though he underscored that the president retains all options as commander-in-chief.

“Well, we don’t – let me say two things about it. Number one, I’m – the President always has the options to undertake whatever operations he decides to do as the Commander-in-Chief. That said, the – we believe the objective that we have set for this mission, which is the destruction of their ballistic missile capabilities, both launch capability and manufacturing, can be achieved without ground forces. Right now we’re not postured for ground forces. But obviously, the President has those options. He’s never going to rule out anything. But right now our focus is on the destruction of their ballistic missile launchers, their ballistic missile stockpiles, and their ballistic missile manufacturing capability, as well as their one-way attack drones and their navy because of the threat it poses to global shipping,” Rubio told reporters, Caliber.Az reports per the US State Department.

Rubio stated that the United States is conducting an operation aimed at eliminating the threat posed by Iran’s short-range ballistic missiles and its navy, particularly to naval assets.

“The United States is conducting an operation to eliminate the threat of Iran’s short-range ballistic missiles and the threat posed by their navy, particularly to naval assets. That is what it is focused on doing right now and it’s doing quite successfully," he added. 

He noted that the objectives of the operation are to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile capability, prevent it from being rebuilt, and ensure it cannot serve as cover for a nuclear program.

Warning that further escalation may follow, Rubio said the campaign is far from over.

“I’m not going to give away the details of our tactical efforts, but the hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military. The next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now. Someone was screaming, ‘How long will it take?’ I don’t know how long it’ll take. We have objectives. We will do this as long as it takes to achieve those objectives, and we will achieve those objectives. The world will be a safer place when we’re done with this operation,” he said.

While noting that Washington would welcome political change in Tehran, Rubio emphasided that regime change is not the stated objective of the mission.

By Sabina Mammadli