US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Wednesday that Iran’s refusal to discuss its ballistic missile programme poses “a big problem”.
“It's also important to remember that Iran refuses, refuses to talk about the ballistic missiles to us or to anyone, and that's a big problem,” he said, speaking to reporters on the Caribbean island of St Kitts, where he attended a meeting of the leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
“Iran poses a very great threat to the United States and has for a very long time… First and foremost, after their nuclear programme was obliterated, they were told not to try to restart it. And here they are, you can see them always trying to rebuild elements of it.
“They're not enriching right now, but they're trying to get to the point where they ultimately can,” he added.
The US secretary of state’s remarks come ahead of the planned third round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran in Geneva on Thursday.
Rubio detailed Iran’s conventional military capabilities, noting that it “possesses a very large number of ballistic missiles, particularly short-range ballistic missiles, that threaten the United States and our bases in the region and our partners in the region and all of our bases in the UAE, in Qatar, in Bahrain”.
He added that Iran’s military capabilities extend beyond its nuclear ambitions, including naval forces that endanger shipping and pose potential threats to US forces, highlighting a broader conventional arsenal aimed at American targets.
Rubio also noted that upcoming talks would primarily focus on Iran’s nuclear programme, reflecting the Biden administration’s preference for diplomatic progress, but warned that a critical challenge remains.
The comments came amid heightened tensions between the US and Iran, driven by disputes over Tehran’s missile development and nuclear ambitions, and renewed indirect talks in Geneva to address those issues.
Washington has pressed for limits on Iran’s ballistic missile programme alongside restrictions on nuclear enrichment, a demand that Tehran has so far resisted.
