Washington, DC [US], February 23 (ANI): United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has affirmed that Iran can never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon.

He said that US President Donald Trump has been clear about the issue and has issued an executive order to reinstate maximum pressure on Iranian government, especially because the Iranian regime has been using money to fund their weapons programs or to fund their sponsorship of terrorism.

In an interview with Catherine Herridge Reports on Thursday, Rubio accused Iran of funding attacks by Houthis on global shipping, Hamas, Hezbollah and the militias in Iraq. He said that the US has to stop a nuclear Iran and it cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.

When asked about his recent remarks against Iran in Israel and how far the Trump administration is willing to stop a nuclear Iran, Marco Rubio responded, 'Well, ultimately, I think President Trump's been clear. We're not going to discuss tactics or measures. He's issued an executive order to once again return to the maximum pressure, primarily because we've seen that Iran uses - the Iranian regime, let me be clear; I'm not talking about the Iranian people - the regime, they use any money that they make to fund their weapons programs, to fund their sponsorship of terrorism. If you look at all the destabilizing things that are happening in the Middle East - the Houthis and their attack on global shipping, Hamas, Hezbollah, the militias in Iraq that attack both Israel and the US presence there, the anti-ISIS presence that we have - all of them are sponsored by money from Iran. They're behind all of this.'

'And so why would we allow them to make any more money that they can use to sponsor these things? Now, how we prevent a nuclear Iran - I'm not going to discuss the options that are available to us or anyone else for that matter. But I want to make it abundantly clear the Iranian regime can never be - a regime that's behind all of this and believes that it is their duty to export their revolution to other countries in the region - they can never allow to possess a nuclear weapon where they can hold the world hostage and where they could potentially attack Israel,' he added.

Earlier on February 16, Marco Rubio on Sunday blamed Iran for 'instability, violence and destabilising' activities in the Middle East. While addressing a joint press briefing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Rubio said that Iran is behind everything that threatens peace and stability in the region.

'It (Iran) is the single greatest source of instability in the region, behind every terrorist group, behind every act of violence, behind every destabilising activity, behind everything that threatens peace and stability for the billions of people who call this region home. By Iran, I mean its regime, a regime that its people do not support. The people of Iran are victims of that regime.' Rubio said.

Rubio also stressed that Iran can 'never' become a nuclear nation. 'a nuclear Iran then can hold itself immune from pressure and action, that can never happen,' he added.

'I think it's important to constantly point that whether we talk about Hamas or we talk about Hizballah or we talk about violence in the West Bank or we talk about destabilization of Syria or we talk about any of these issues, the militias in Iraq - they all have behind them one common theme - Iran. And that must be addressed and there can never be a nuclear Iran - a nuclear Iran that could then hold itself immune from pressure and from action. That can never happen. The President has been clear about that as well,' he said.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump signed executive orders to reinstate the 'maximum pressure' campaign against Iran. The order directed the Treasury Department to execute 'maximum economic pressure' upon Iran through a series of sanctions targeting the country's oil exports.

Trump said he was 'torn' on signing the order and admitted he was 'unhappy to do it,' noting that the executive order was very tough on Iran. The reinstatement of strict sanctions on Iran follows Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May 2018. (ANI)