Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

BumRushDaShow

(160,676 posts)
Sun Jun 22, 2025, 07:06 PM Jun 2025

Marco Rubio Says It's 'Irrelevant' Whether U.S. Intel Showed Iran Building Nuclear Weapons

Source: Huff Post

Jun 22, 2025, 04:13 PM EDT


Secretary of State Marco Rubio refused to say on Sunday whether the United States actually had intelligence that Iran was building a weapon of mass destruction before bombing the Gulf country’s nuclear sites ― dismissing any such assessment as “irrelevant” to the Saturday night attack that will very likely lead to wider conflict.

Rubio was one of several Trump administration officials to oversee the attack titled “Operation Midnight Hammer,” in which the U.S. bombed three key nuclear sites in Iran as part of Israel’s war on the longtime foe. The Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman said that the attack caused “extremely severe damage and destruction” to the sites before acknowledging that a complete assessment determining the extent of the damage will take more time.

Appearing Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” the secretary of state described Iran as having “weaponization ambitions” ― leading host Margaret Brennan to press whether U.S. intelligence had specifically shown that Iran’s supreme leader already ordered nuclear weaponization.

“That’s irrelevant,” Rubio said, to which Brennan pushed, “But that is the key point in U.S. intelligence assessments, you know that.”

Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/marco-rubio-irrelevant-intelligence-iran-nuclear-weapons_n_685849e9e4b0208df3862872



37 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Marco Rubio Says It's 'Irrelevant' Whether U.S. Intel Showed Iran Building Nuclear Weapons (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Jun 2025 OP
47's worm, rubio - 47 can dol whatever he wants so F.O. msongs Jun 2025 #1
Anything that stands in the way of Progressive dog Jun 2025 #2
Mask off (again). They won't even bother pretending their actions are justified. RockRaven Jun 2025 #3
"Weaponization ambitions." What is this, 'Minority Report'? sop Jun 2025 #4
GMTA area51 Jun 2025 #22
It's funny the word "irrelevant" should come up in a context with Lil' Marko. Hugin Jun 2025 #5
Irrelevant Bayard Jun 2025 #6
This message was self-deleted by its author Bayard Jun 2025 #7
Your honor it's irrelevant that my clients murder victim was unarmed BOSSHOG Jun 2025 #8
Little Marco should stick with his area of expertise... Trump's genitals. That was 'relevant' to him. Norrrm Jun 2025 #9
That is precisely how Trump thinks of himself DENVERPOPS Jun 2025 #10
Because shooting first and asking questions later is the correct thing to do! sakabatou Jun 2025 #11
Please Tell Me That Little Marco Didn't Say That DallasNE Jun 2025 #12
Rubio is irrelevant n/t Half-step Jun 2025 #13
Rubio grandpamike1 Jun 2025 #14
Grab a fucking uniform then, Rubio. You're on the front line. sakabatou Jun 2025 #15
Are people really Iran nuclear weapons program truthers? The whole point of Obama's JCPOA was to stop it. mathematic Jun 2025 #16
Rubio's comments make clear they did not iemanja Jun 2025 #18
Bush Jr went along with the WMD CON for much,much longer than this Bengus81 Jun 2025 #31
Nice, subtle goalpost move to say "near weaponization", instead of nuclear weapons program mathematic Jun 2025 #34
So Israel is now a rogue state with nuclear arms. So we should bomb them now? travelingthrulife Jun 2025 #35
Cool off iemanja Jun 2025 #36
This is simply a personal attack and addresses nothing I've said. nt mathematic Jun 2025 #37
So Iran wasn't close to a nuclear weapon iemanja Jun 2025 #17
Wow. At least Dubya considered it relevant enough to--you know-outright fucking LIE to the whole damn Karasu Jun 2025 #19
Newsflash! Greenland successfully carries off a pre-emptive strike on America! Aussie105 Jun 2025 #20
That sounds familiar ... SomewhereInTheMiddle Jun 2025 #29
It's irrelevant if the goal is to become a "war president" who can further clamp down on rights and seize more power. LudwigPastorius Jun 2025 #21
Bad to the bone. Baitball Blogger Jun 2025 #23
"It's irrelevant whether... swong19104 Jun 2025 #24
Unfortunately the Australian media is in lock-step with American media and the Trump regime. Aussie105 Jun 2025 #25
Such incompetence by all vapor2 Jun 2025 #26
So unfit for his post. BlueMTexpat Jun 2025 #27
An irrelevant "man"... Godot51 Jun 2025 #28
Kinda what Bush Jr and Cheney later said about Iraq too............. Bengus81 Jun 2025 #30
Of course it is... Hope22 Jun 2025 #32
Yep...and remember the always go to BS "yellow cake". Bengus81 Jun 2025 #33

sop

(16,178 posts)
4. "Weaponization ambitions." What is this, 'Minority Report'?
Sun Jun 22, 2025, 07:26 PM
Jun 2025

Apparently, Rubio has now also been put in charge of Trump's Precrime Department, relying on foreknowledge from psychic "precogs" to bomb other countries.

Hugin

(36,900 posts)
5. It's funny the word "irrelevant" should come up in a context with Lil' Marko.
Sun Jun 22, 2025, 07:41 PM
Jun 2025

Apparently, he's the expert.

Bayard

(27,120 posts)
6. Irrelevant
Sun Jun 22, 2025, 07:52 PM
Jun 2025

You peons don't really need to know the truth, because you couldn't handle it anyway. We will tell you what to believe. They had weapons of mass destruction.

And trump has been drooling over bombing somebody, might as well be Iran.

Response to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

BOSSHOG

(43,728 posts)
8. Your honor it's irrelevant that my clients murder victim was unarmed
Sun Jun 22, 2025, 08:03 PM
Jun 2025

But my client is very appreciative of the court for giving him due process.

Norrrm

(3,036 posts)
9. Little Marco should stick with his area of expertise... Trump's genitals. That was 'relevant' to him.
Sun Jun 22, 2025, 08:59 PM
Jun 2025

DENVERPOPS

(13,003 posts)
10. That is precisely how Trump thinks of himself
Sun Jun 22, 2025, 09:02 PM
Jun 2025

"MIDNIGHT HAMMER" he has been waiting to put he term to good use......

DallasNE

(7,876 posts)
12. Please Tell Me That Little Marco Didn't Say That
Sun Jun 22, 2025, 09:19 PM
Jun 2025

Time to make little Marco irrelevant because whether Iran was making nuclear bombs is the only relevant thing. How much longer do we have to put up with this ignorance at the top?

mathematic

(1,592 posts)
16. Are people really Iran nuclear weapons program truthers? The whole point of Obama's JCPOA was to stop it.
Sun Jun 22, 2025, 10:09 PM
Jun 2025

I'm really confused why I'm seeing comments as if Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program. They do. The Obama administration famously negotiated a deal with Iran to dismantle it and stop it for a limited time. The idea was if that deal went well then Iran could be convinced to stop pursuing nuclear weapons indefinitely. This deal was also famously canceled (well, withdrawn from, technically) by Trump in 2018. And people are acting in disbelief that Iran restarted their program in earnest 7 years ago?

This is not secret information. Iran is a signatory to the NPT and thus have an obligation to not develop nuclear weapons. So of course they say they don't. And of course they're lying. I mean, I'm supposed to believe Obama spent years of effort and political capital to stop Iran from using nuclear electricity? How is this even a hard call to make on Democratic Underground? People would so readily believe that Obama is a fool that wasted time and energy than they would that a country holds "Death to America" as official policy is lying about their weapons program?

iemanja

(56,774 posts)
18. Rubio's comments make clear they did not
Sun Jun 22, 2025, 10:45 PM
Jun 2025

Have a program near weaponization. That you believe they did is not evidence.

You choose to believe Trump and Netanyahu, who has been declaring Iran is weeks away from a weapon for 15 years. He is obviously a liar, as Trump of course is.

Carnage based on belief or assumptions is not justified.

Bengus81

(9,449 posts)
31. Bush Jr went along with the WMD CON for much,much longer than this
Mon Jun 23, 2025, 06:57 AM
Jun 2025

But...they were trying to cover their asses. The Trump regime doesn't give a flying fuck what anyone thinks.

mathematic

(1,592 posts)
34. Nice, subtle goalpost move to say "near weaponization", instead of nuclear weapons program
Mon Jun 23, 2025, 09:33 AM
Jun 2025

Iran has a nuclear weapons program. Nobody disputes that. Not even you, seemingly, since you're only claiming that their program is not "near" weaponization. Iran has openly enriching uranium to 60% for years. This is a nuclear weapons program.

The JCPOA, Obama's Iran deal, sought to limit Iran's "nuclear breakout" time, the time estimated for Iran to have enough material for a nuclear weapon to 12 months instead of an expected 2-3 months without the deal. We've been without the deal for 7 years.

You use "near" to hide behind. But you don't say what you think near is? Obama's deal thought 2-3 months was too little to prevent a weapon if Iran had decided to leave the deal but 12 months was enough. Again, there hasn't been a deal for 7 years. Trump will be president for 3.5 more years. Is there anybody in the world that thinks Iran can't assemble a weapon in within the 3.5 years considering they have advanced centrifuges and a large stockpile of highly enriched uranium?



iemanja

(56,774 posts)
36. Cool off
Mon Jun 23, 2025, 02:58 PM
Jun 2025

There is no reason to be pissy with me. You got the war you wanted. Lots of people will die. All is well.

Netanyahu has claimed Iran has been months or days away from a bomb for decades now. He’s obviously lying. No country can be in that position for decades. It’s absurd.

Getting pissed at people who don’t support the war is a waste of time. Your president is conducting the war you wanted. The rest of us just share opinions. We are mere citizens who don’t like unprovoked wars. Worse yet, we don’t like to see people killed. Shocking, I know.

Karasu

(2,003 posts)
19. Wow. At least Dubya considered it relevant enough to--you know-outright fucking LIE to the whole damn
Sun Jun 22, 2025, 10:58 PM
Jun 2025

country about it when he pulled this shit with Iraq.

This fascist regime isn't even fucking trying.

Aussie105

(7,247 posts)
20. Newsflash! Greenland successfully carries off a pre-emptive strike on America!
Sun Jun 22, 2025, 11:00 PM
Jun 2025

Places possibly harbouring persons of evil intent towards Greenland were hit by Greenlandic WMDs.

Greenland apologizes for any civilian collateral deaths associated with the raids.

Spokesman said "It was only a matter of time before America invaded Greenland. We had to strike first to prevent a serious war.
Besides, fighting a war on your enemy's soil is so much cleaner than a war on your own soil."

Video coverage of the smouldering holes where Mara-a-loco and numerous other Trump properties used to be at 6 pm.

Yes, I'm using creative fiction writing there.
Just to point out, by swapping the players, how insane the US action was.

LudwigPastorius

(13,472 posts)
21. It's irrelevant if the goal is to become a "war president" who can further clamp down on rights and seize more power.
Sun Jun 22, 2025, 11:05 PM
Jun 2025

Baitball Blogger

(50,964 posts)
23. Bad to the bone.
Mon Jun 23, 2025, 12:03 AM
Jun 2025

I tell you what. If a regular American citizen gets killed from Iran's counter offensive, that victim's family is going to think that intel was relevant.

Dear God, here we are again with an ignorant President relying on truthism -- or the non-science method of going by your ignorant ass gut.

swong19104

(525 posts)
24. "It's irrelevant whether...
Mon Jun 23, 2025, 12:04 AM
Jun 2025

she gave consent. I don't care. When you're famous, they let you do it."

Aussie105

(7,247 posts)
25. Unfortunately the Australian media is in lock-step with American media and the Trump regime.
Mon Jun 23, 2025, 12:09 AM
Jun 2025

Iran the bad guy? Yep!
Planning on making nuclear bombs and obliterating Israel? Yep, any minute now!
(It's been 'any minute now' for decades.)
America is the good guy and done good? Yep!

It's lazy reporting. If I can call it reporting, rather more of an echo.

I need to look at UK media and Al Jazeera to get a less brain dead analysis.

eg
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/22/us-attacks-iran-how-trump-rejoined-team-netanyahu

https://www.bbc.com/news/world/middle_east

The US and AU media are dead to me.


Bengus81

(9,449 posts)
30. Kinda what Bush Jr and Cheney later said about Iraq too.............
Mon Jun 23, 2025, 06:53 AM
Jun 2025

Because they had NOTHING in that Country to build those touted WMD.

Hope22

(4,179 posts)
32. Of course it is...
Mon Jun 23, 2025, 07:44 AM
Jun 2025

Aluminum tubes, enemy north, south, east and west of Baghdad…..oh, those were the days. Comb licking f’ers!! At least they took some time to be creative. Unfit to lead is all I can say!

Bengus81

(9,449 posts)
33. Yep...and remember the always go to BS "yellow cake".
Mon Jun 23, 2025, 08:32 AM
Jun 2025

Same SHIT,same NEO CONS,different YEAR,

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»Marco Rubio Says It's 'Ir...