Marco Rubio poised for US Secretary of State promising a tougher approach on Iran
Marco Rubio poised for US Secretary of State, promising a tougher approach on Iran
MADRID – Various U.S. and international media outlets have reported that Marco Rubio could be appointed as the next Secretary of State in Donald Trump's administration. This would place him at the helm of U.S. foreign policy, with the responsibility of managing international relations and safeguarding the country's geopolitical interests.
Rubio, who was elected as the senator from Florida in 2010, has maintained a firm stance against the geopolitical adversaries of the United States, particularly China, Iran, and Cuba. His approach has been marked by a hardline position toward these countries, which he views as strategic threats.
However, his stance on Russia has shown some nuances in recent years. While he previously expressed belligerent rhetoric toward the Kremlin, it is likely that Rubio will align himself with Trump's plans, which include pressuring Ukraine to seek a negotiated settlement with Russia and remain outside of NATO. In recent interviews, Rubio, 53, suggested that Ukraine should prioritize a diplomatic solution with the Kremlin rather than focusing all its efforts on reclaiming the territories occupied by Russia in the past decade.
Furthermore, he was one of the 15 Republican senators who voted against the $95 billion military aid package for Ukraine approved in April, highlighting his preference for negotiation over military escalation in the conflict.
In a September interview with NBC, Marco Rubio stated, "I’m not pro-Russia, but unfortunately, the reality is that the war in Ukraine will end through a negotiated agreement." This statement suggests a pragmatic stance on the conflict, aligned with the Trump administration’s approach to Ukraine.
If confirmed as Secretary of State, Rubio is likely to place unprecedented emphasis on Latin America in U.S. foreign policy. Mauricio Claver-Carone, one of his allies and former president of the Inter-American Development Bank, who also worked on Latin American issues in the National Security Council during Trump's first term, remarked: "We are in a historic moment where Latin America, more than ever, will be the focal point of the U.S. presidency."
Rubio, whose grandfather fled Cuba in 1962, maintains a firm opposition to normalizing relations with the Cuban government, a position he shares with Trump. Additionally, as chairman of the House Subcommittee on Latin American Affairs, he has been a consistent and outspoken critic of Nicolás Maduro.
He is also one of the most prominent figures in the U.S. Senate for his critical stance toward China. In 2020, due to his support for the protests in Hong Kong, he was sanctioned by the Beijing government.
Regarding Iran, Rubio has adopted a position that some experts describe as firmly anti-Iranian, emphasizing the need for economic and political pressure on the country while rejecting any policy of appeasement. In a tweet, Rubio wrote: "Iran wants to destroy Israel to become the dominant power in the Middle East. The policy of appeasement will not change their behavior."
In July 2024, Rubio, alongside Democratic Senator Alex Padilla, introduced the "Mahsa Amini Human Rights and Accountability for Security Act" in the Senate, which seeks to impose additional sanctions on the Islamic Republic for "human rights violations."
During the Republican National Convention supporting Trump's candidacy, the likely next Secretary of State stated, "Under Trump's presidency, the Islamic Republic was on the brink of collapse, but under Biden, they have money to support Hamas."
Marco Rubio is known for his firm support of both the Israeli regime and its colonial expansion. As Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, he visited the occupied territories in April, and in November 2023, he co-organized a bipartisan screening for Congress members of a film that purportedly documented the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7. However, some of the claims were later refuted by media outlets and the United Nations.
He is also characterized by his vigorous defense of Israel's alleged "right" to respond to Iranian attacks. After the Iranian offensive against Israel in October, he declared, "Those who demand Israel show 'restraint' should remember that Israel has the capacity to inflict damage that threatens the Iranian regime and has already shown restraint by not doing so."
The possible appointment of Marco Rubio as Secretary of State comes as no surprise. One of the first appointments made by President-elect Donald Trump, particularly relevant to Iran, was that of Brian Hook. As the U.S. Special Representative for Iran and advisor to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the last two years of Trump's presidency, Hook played a key role during a period marked by the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and the expansion of devastating sanctions designed to bring about government change in Iran. Apparently, Hook has been tasked with recruiting personnel for the Department of State in this new phase.
Additionally, according to several U.S. media outlets, another name that has gained significant attention is Robert O'Brien, former National Security Advisor to the president-elect, who could assume a role within the State Department during Trump's second term. In recent statements, O'Brien sharply criticized the Biden administration's handling of Iran, accusing the United States of failing to take effective action to curb the Iranian government’s actions, which, according to him, have escalated significantly in the last four years. "Iran has gone from being a major challenge to becoming an even greater threat, due to the lack of a strong response from the Biden administration," he stated in an interview with a U.S. outlet.
O'Brien pointed out that U.S. allies in West Asia and other regions have interpreted Washington's apparent passivity as a sign of weakness and instability. This perception, he argued, has led many of these allies to adopt more autonomous foreign policies, distanced from U.S. decisions.
In the same interview, O'Brien emphasized the need to reactivate the "maximum pressure" policy implemented during the Trump administration, designed to isolate Iran and force it to change its behavior through economic sanctions and firmer diplomatic measures. "The maximum pressure policy not only forced Iran to reconsider its actions but also strengthened the United States' position with its allies," he said.
In this context, Rubio belongs to the political faction that views the Islamic Republic of Iran as a fundamental risk to the shared regional strategy of the United States and Israel. His likely appointment suggests that Iran will once again face the reimposition of the so-called "maximum pressure" strategy, aimed at politically weakening the Iranian government through brutal sanctions, accompanied by a belligerent vision that, at least initially, offers little hope for the region.
source: tehrantimes.com