Iran is racing toward nuclear capability, and President Trump’s decisive action this weekend sends a clear message: America will never tolerate a nuclear-armed Tehran. Yet, predictably, the mainstream media seems intent on splitting hairs and muddying the waters. CBS journalist Margaret Brennan attempted precisely that in her exchange with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday’s “Face the Nation,” obsessing over whether intelligence specifically indicates Iran’s supreme leader explicitly ordered the weaponization of nuclear materials.
Rubio’s response was decisive and unambiguous: “That’s irrelevant.” It’s not only irrelevant—it’s dangerously naive to wait for proof of a direct order from Ayatollah Khamenei when every single action Tehran takes screams nuclear ambition. Rubio rightly pointed out the obvious: “It doesn’t matter that the order was given. They have everything they need to build nuclear weapons.”
MUST WATCH: @SecRubio schools Margaret Brennan on the Iranian regime's nuclear program.
"Why do they have 60% enriched uranium? … The only countries in the world that have uranium at 60% are countries that have nuclear weapons because they can quickly make it 90%!" pic.twitter.com/XO8ol5jBIn
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 22, 2025
Indeed, the facts speak louder than any classified intelligence briefing. Iran’s aggressive uranium enrichment has soared to 60%. Rubio nailed it when he said, “You don’t need 60% enriched uranium. The only countries in the world that have uranium at 60% are countries that have nuclear weapons because they can quickly make it 90.” Tehran’s nuclear facilities buried beneath mountains, its relentless missile testing, its aggressive space program—none of these are peaceful initiatives. None are designed for civilian purposes. They are clear and undeniable steps toward nuclear weaponization.
Yet Brennan continued to push a narrative of uncertainty, citing an intelligence assessment from March suggesting Iran merely wants to be a “threshold state” to leverage its position. Rubio shut this down decisively, retorting: “That’s an inaccurate representation of it. That’s not how our intelligence is read. That’s not how intelligence is used. Here’s what the whole world knows—forget about intelligence—what the IAEA knows.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency, a body hardly known for alarmism, has repeatedly censured Iran for enrichment activities far beyond any peaceful necessity. Rubio laid out the damning case plainly: “They are enriching uranium well beyond anything you need for a civil nuclear program. So, why would you enrich uranium at 60% if you don’t intend to one day use it to take it to 90 and build a weapon?”
Rubio also highlighted Iran’s extensive missile capabilities, pointing out that the regime has amassed thousands of short- and mid-range missiles. Tehran is openly developing intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) technology under the guise of a “space program.” Rubio asked pointedly, “Why do you have 8,000 short-range missiles and 2-3 thousand mid-range missiles that you continue to develop?” These are not defensive measures; they are offensive capabilities designed explicitly to threaten America and our allies. Brennan insisted she was “simply asking” about direct intelligence orders, but Rubio rightly dismissed her fixation as dangerously misguided.
The Trump administration understands that waiting for explicit confirmation of an order from Iran’s supreme leader is a mistake we cannot afford. The regime’s intentions are abundantly clear from their aggressive actions, relentless missile tests, and enrichment levels far beyond civilian use. As Rubio powerfully concluded, “They have everything they need for a nuclear weapon. They have the delivery mechanisms, they have the enrichment capability, they have the highly-enriched uranium that is stored—that’s all we need to see, especially in the hands of a regime that’s already involved in terrorism and proxies and all kinds of things. They are the source of all instability in the Middle East.”
Under President Trump’s leadership, America’s national security is no longer hostage to wishful thinking or bureaucratic indecision. The strikes this weekend were a clear statement to Tehran and to the world: America stands strong and resolute. We will never allow the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism to obtain the world’s most dangerous weapon. Secretary Rubio’s assertive defense of Trump’s decisive action underscores the seriousness and urgency of this moment. The time for debate and equivocation is over. Iran’s nuclear ambitions must be stopped, and under Trump’s steady hand, they will be.