Israel war: Rubio demands information on Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) demanded the Biden administration crack down on Iran and its efforts to create nuclear weapons, following reports that it played a role in the terrorist organization Hamas’s weekend attack on Israel.

Rubio, along with several co-signers including Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), made the demands in a letter to the State Department on Wednesday and also requested the administration release information about the International Atomic Energy Agency’s five-year investigation into Iran.

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The IAEA’s investigation centered on Iran’s undisclosed nuclear material and goals that were linked to a covert initiative in 2003 known as the Amad Plan, which planned to create atomic weapons. The added interest comes after a Hamas spokesman claimed the organization had Iran’s support in the attack and a report from the Wall Street Journal claimed Iran was involved in the attack.

“The Iranian regime is intent on fomenting terror across the region, as evidenced by its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah’s, brutal attacks this weekend on our ally, Israel,” Rubio wrote in the letter. “Now more than ever, you must ensure that you hold the regime accountable for its failure to comply with obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”

No United States intelligence has indicated Iran was aware of the attack ahead of time. In fact, U.S. officials claimed there is evidence that Iran was surprised by the attack, including by its size and timing. However, Iran has been a benefactor and supporter of Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah in the past.

Iran has long sought to obtain nuclear weapons, despite the passage of a 1970 international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that intended to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology to nonnuclear regions. But according to a congressional report in July, which cited U.S. intelligence assessments, the Iranian government has the “capacity to produce nuclear weapons at some point” but “has not mastered all of the necessary technologies for building such weapons.”

The U.S. and the IAEA are still investigating whether Iran is using covert facilities to create nuclear weapons but have not found any evidence so far. Rubio also claimed the IAEA has tried to visit several regions of Iran but has been unable to.

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“The Biden Administration has failed to press for concrete action against Iran in Vienna. We are especially disturbed by reports that the United States led efforts to oppose a censure of Iran,” Rubio wrote. “As Iran violates its commitments and refuses to comply with the IAEA, your business-as-usual approach to resolving the situation is tantamount to an endorsement of the Iranian regime’s activities.”

The conflict between Hamas and Israel has resulted in a total of 2,500 deaths so far, including 25 Americans. Thousands more have been injured or captured. Hamas launched its surprise attack on Saturday.