Washington: The United States has moved diplomatic personnel away from security threats overseas, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, as he voiced concern over Iranian-linked activities and the danger of a wider regional conflict.
Speaking to reporters in Paris on Monday, Rubio was asked whether the administration had neutralised a threat against American diplomats overseas that US intelligence had warned about last month.
“We’ve addressed it by moving people away from the threat,” Rubio said.
He said the safety of American personnel and their families was a constant priority. Any threat crossing a certain threshold triggered a review of security conditions, the ability to move staff and the risks of being caught in a rapidly deteriorating situation.
Rubio said the concerns extended beyond Iran. He pointed to the Houthis in Yemen and attacks involving Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, warning that a regional escalation could leave American personnel stranded if airports were shut.
“What we always have to take into consideration is not just what’s happening now, it’s what could happen,” he said.
He described an internal process in which security officials assess facilities, staff numbers, dependants and evacuation options before making recommendations. Rubio said he had acted on those recommendations when deciding to move personnel.
The secretary also sharply criticised Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after being asked about cyberattacks that a reporter said French officials had attributed to the group.
Rubio said French officials had briefed him about their planned announcement but declined to say whether Washington had shared intelligence with Paris.
“What kind of sickos are these people? They attack refrigerators,” Rubio said.
He argued that the reported operation was consistent with a pattern of activity he attributed to the Iranian force.
“The IRGC’s been conducting acts of terrorism,” he said, before adding that it had also carried out “sabotage around the world for a long time.”
Rubio said he was not surprised by the French allegation and emphasised that his criticism was directed at Iran’s leadership rather than its population.
“The Iranian people are great people,” he said, drawing a distinction between ordinary citizens and those he described as a small group of violent rulers.
Responding to a question, Rubio defended Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on a congressman’s move to seek his impeachment over the Iran war.
Rubio praised Hegseth’s performance and claimed that US operations had seriously weakened Iran’s military.
“They still retain capabilities, obviously, but they are very degraded from where they were a year ago at this time,” Rubio said.
His remarks brought together three issues facing Washington: threats to American diplomats, allegations of Iranian cyber operations in Europe and the regional consequences of confrontation with Tehran. Rubio did not provide details of the personnel movements, locations or any intelligence shared with France.
(IANS)
