US Nearing 'Finish Line' With Iran, Rubio Warns Tehran Could Become 'Next North Korea'

Last Updated:April 01, 2026, 20:08 IST

Rubio questioned the US relationship with NATO, citing restrictions imposed by several European countries on the use of their military bases.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States is approaching the “finish line" in its conflict with Iran, warning that Tehran was aiming to become the “next North Korea" with intercontinental missile capabilities.

Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday, Rubio said, “We can see the finish line. It’s not today, it’s not tomorrow, but it is coming." He added, “They were aiming to become the next North Korea, except not a North Korea run by a regime that is troublesome and hard to understand, but an Iran run by radical Shia clerics with intercontinental missiles that could reach the mainland of the United States eventually."

Rubio also noted that these developments would have been achieved if US President Donald Trump had not launched military action under Operation Epic Fury.

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“That’s what they were going towards. That’s what they would have ultimately achieved, had President Trump not taken these steps that he’s taken," he said.

The war, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has escalated across the region, leading to thousands of deaths, millions displaced, disruptions in energy supplies, and significant volatility in global markets.

During the same interview, Rubio also questioned the US relationship with NATO, citing restrictions imposed by several European countries on the use of their military bases.

“When we need them to allow us to use their military bases, their answer is ‘No?’ Then why are we in NATO? You have to ask that question," he told Fox News.

He added that the United States would “have to reexamine" the value of NATO after the conflict concludes, noting that any final decision would ultimately rest with Trump.

“I think there’s no doubt, unfortunately, after this conflict is concluded, we are going to have to reexamine that relationship. We’re going to have to reexamine the value of NATO in that alliance for our country," Rubio said.

News world US Nearing 'Finish Line' With Iran, Rubio Warns Tehran Could Become 'Next North Korea'

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