U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described Iran as the principal source of instability in the Middle East, accusing Tehran of fueling regional conflict through its support for armed groups.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday (July 22), Rubio said the United States has held several discussions with Saudi Arabia over the past week regarding threats by Yemen’s Houthi rebels to attack commercial shipping in the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
He noted that such threats are not new, pointing out that similar attacks have occurred in the past.
Rubio argued that Iran is at the center of the region’s ongoing security crisis.
“When you talk about the main source of instability in the region, Iran is at the top of the list,” he said.
The secretary of state accused Tehran of supporting several armed groups across the Middle East, including:
The Houthi movement in Yemen
Hezbollah in Lebanon
Iran-backed militias in Iraq
Hamas in the Palestinian territories
According to Rubio, rather than investing in the welfare of its own citizens, Iran is directing financial resources toward organizations that contribute to regional instability and violence.
His remarks come amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, with continued exchanges of military threats and growing concerns over security in key maritime routes across the Middle East.
