Bombs fell on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio isn’t apologizing. On CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday, Rubio stood firm on the U.S. airstrikes targeting Iran’s Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.
The New York Post reported that the strikes, authorized by President Trump, sparked global outcry but, for conservatives, signal a bold stand against a regime long dodging accountability.
President Trump greenlit Operation Midnight Hammer, a massive B-2 raid dropping 14 bunker-buster bombs on Fordow, aiming to cripple Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Rubio argued Iran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium—dangerously close to weapons-grade—left no room for hesitation.
Iran’s Fordow facility, buried 300 feet underground, screams intent to shield illicit nuclear work, Rubio insisted.
“Why would you bury things in a mountain 300 feet under the ground?” he quipped, dismissing critics who call the strikes reckless. His point lands hard: Iran’s setup isn’t for peaceful science fairs.
Operation Midnight Hammer marked the largest B-2 raid in history, a flex of American might. Rubio underscored that Iran’s uranium, enriched to 60%, is a red line—only nations with nuclear arsenals play at that level. The International Atomic Energy Agency notes that jumping from 60% to 90% enrichment, the weapons-grade threshold, is a short leap.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stirred confusion earlier in 2025, testifying that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003.
She later backpedaled, claiming her words were twisted, and pointed to Iran’s enriched uranium as a threat. Gabbard’s wobble only fuels skepticism about intelligence community flip-flops.
President Trump, never one to mince words, flatly rejected Gabbard’s initial claim. Rubio echoed the sentiment, arguing Iran’s actions—stockpiling high-grade uranium, fortifying Fordow—speak louder than any intelligence report. Trusting Iran’s promises is like betting on a scorpion’s goodwill.
Israel, no stranger to Iran’s games, struck first, hitting Iranian targets days before scheduled nuclear talks.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed “absolutely clear” intelligence proved Iran was secretly weaponizing uranium. His strikes, paired with Trump’s, show a West fed up with Tehran’s nuclear charade.
Rubio swatted away questions about a “trust deficit” with Iran, pinning the blame squarely on Tehran. “The trust deficit started with Iran,” he shot back, citing their history of sponsoring terrorism. He’s not wrong—decades of Iranian-backed attacks, from Lebanon’s embassy bombing to IEDs in Iraq, don’t exactly scream “reliable partner.”
“Did they forewarn us before they blew up the embassy in Lebanon and killed over 200 American servicemen?” Rubio asked, his sarcasm biting.
Iran’s rap sheet, he argued, justifies skepticism about its nuclear intentions. Playing nice with a regime that funds chaos isn’t a strategy; it’s surrender.
Russia and China, predictably, condemned the U.S. strikes, clutching their pearls over sovereignty. Moscow even warned that nations might arm Iran with nuclear weapons in retaliation—a chilling, if hyperbolic, threat. The global left will cry foul, but coddling Iran’s regime hasn’t exactly brought world peace.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reportedly in hiding post-strikes, faces a battered nuclear program.
Rubio’s point about Fordow’s underground fortress holds: no one buries a power plant that deep unless they’re hiding something nasty. Iran’s victim act fools only the gullible.
Concerns linger about U.S. intelligence, haunted by the 2003 Iraq WMD debacle. Rubio waved off doubts, insisting Iran’s tangible assets—uranium, infrastructure—justify action, intelligence or not. “That’s irrelevant,” he said, doubling down on Iran’s capability over murky intel debates.
Rubio’s defense of the strikes resonates with conservatives tired of endless negotiations with a duplicitous regime.
Iran’s 60% enriched uranium isn’t for medical research; it’s a stepping stone to catastrophe. The Biden-era obsession with diplomacy ignored that reality, leaving Trump to clean up the mess.
Netanyahu’s intelligence, Trump’s resolve, and Rubio’s clarity form a united front against Iran’s nuclear brinkmanship. Critics will wail about escalation, but ignoring Iran’s capabilities invites disaster. Strength, not hand-wringing, keeps rogue regimes in check.
