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U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released the following video commenting on what President Joe Biden’s message should be for Iran ahead of the president’s address to the nation tonight.

A broadcast quality version of the video can be downloaded HERE and a transcript of his remarks is below.

• “One of the most important things President Biden needs to make clear tonight is that if US troops, US diplomats, or US personnel in the Middle East come under attack by these Iranian backed and controlled Shia militia groups in the region, if they attack our people, we are going to consider that to be an attack by the government of Iran against the United States. That will require an extensive response, an extensive retaliatory response. Just in the last 24 hours, we’ve seen an uptick in attacks by these groups against the military forces. And there are troubling indicators that this is going to turn into a full scale campaign, and we can’t allow it. It is important that the president make it abundantly clear, by laying out clear and credible red lines, that if Iran crosses, it will require us to engage them. I don’t want there to be a Middle East war. I don’t want the US involved in another Middle East war. But if Iran, through its proxies, decides to attack us, we’re going to have to retaliate. And it’s important in order to prevent this, for the president to make that clear tonight.”

On October 11, 2023, Rubio warned Iran, either directly or through proxies, could attack U.S. service members or facilities in the region. He said the Biden Administration should make clear to Iran that the U.S. will “consider it an attack by the Iranian state, and we will respond in kind.”