Video: US claims Iranian system is still led by radical clerics
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Abdullateef Fowewe
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has claimed that Iran remains governed by the same clerical leadership it has long had, rejecting suggestions that last winter’s strikes fundamentally altered the country’s ruling structure.
“The Iranian system is still led by radical clerics. That’s what it’s always been led by, and that’s what it continues to be led by,” Rubio said in Bahrain, reiterating his view of Tehran’s enduring theocratic control.
Rubio’s comments come amid a tense regional backdrop after February 2026 U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and damaged Iranian military infrastructure.
His characterisation contrasts with President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions that the strikes produced a pathway to regime change in Tehran.
