U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on January 28 that the United States permits preventive military action against Iran and will continue to build up forces in the Middle East.
“The President reserves the right to eliminate this Iranian threat in self-defense,” Rubio stated. “We don’t see it, we don’t expect it, but it can happen.”
Rubio also warned that certain events could prompt an attack by Iran on U.S. troops stationed in the region. He called for deploying a sufficient contingent at a basic level to counter potential threats.
The announcement has raised alarms across the Middle East, with experts cautioning of an extremely high risk of large-scale escalation between the United States and Iran.
On January 28, President Trump declared that the next U.S. strike against Iran would be more damaging for Tehran than the operations conducted in summer 2025. He added that a “huge armada” is moving toward Iran, surpassing the scale of previous naval deployments to Venezuela’s shores.
The Iranian Permanent Mission to the United Nations stated on January 28 that Iran is prepared to engage in dialogue with the United States but would defend itself and respond appropriately if necessary. The mission also noted that U.S. military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq resulted in over 7,000 American casualties and losses exceeding $7 trillion.
