Rubio defends Iran war as necessary despite political cost

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended President Donald Trump's decision to launch war against Iran, calling it necessary despite political costs. Rubio said Trump addressed a "very real threat" of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. Rubio stated that doing what is right for national security is not necessarily popular but is necessary, and expressed concern about the lack of bipartisan consensus on the Iranian nuclear threat. He argued a nuclear-armed Iran would be unacceptable for Israel, the Middle East, and the world. His comments came days after Republican losses in midterm elections, where the war's impact on energy prices was a major issue. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons, and the IAEA says it has no evidence of a systematic weapons program.