Administration Rubio: ‘There absolutely was an imminent threat’ from Iran by Ashleigh Fields - 03/02/26 5:59 PM ET by Ashleigh Fields - 03/02/26 5:59 PM ET Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email NOW PLAYING Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday said Iran posed an “imminent threat” to the United States following a series of strikes in the region.  “There absolutely was an imminent threat, and the imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked, and we believed they would be attacked, that they would immediately come after us,” Rubio told reporters in the Capitol ahead of a Gang of Eight briefing.   The secretary of State cited a Department of Defense assessment that said Iran planned a strike against the U.S. that would have resulted in “more casualties and more deaths.” “We went proactively in a defensive way to prevent them from inflicting higher damage,” Rubio said.  He told reporters that within an hour of the initial U.S. attack on the leadership compound, Iran’s missile forces in the south and in the north had already been activated to launch and pre-positioned.  Rubio’s comments contradict statements shared by administration officials in Pentagon briefings for lawmakers where no intelligence related to Iran’s plans to attack the U.S. first was mentioned, two sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters . Three sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity also told The Associated Press that administration officials did not present U.S. intel that suggested Iran was planning to launch a preemptive strike.  Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Sunday said that he saw “ no indication ” that Tehran was “close to getting nuclear weapons” after U.S. strikes on their nuclear facility last year.  The remarks come as Democrats raise strong opposition to the strikes overseas, describing attacks as an “ illegal war ” and an unwarranted escalation in the region.  Lawmakers are expected to vote on a war powers resolution in both the House and Senate this week, to restrict President Trump’s authority over the use of force against Iran. Add as preferred source on Google Tags Donald Trump Marco Rubio Secretary of State Marco Rubio strikes on Iran Ted Cruz Trump administration War Powers Resolution Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email More Administration News See All International Iran’s leaders: Who was killed? Who’s in charge now? by Max Rego 20 minutes ago International  /  20 minutes ago