New Delhi [India], May 24 (ANI): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Iran during a joint press conference with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, accusing Tehran of sponsoring terrorism, backing proxy militant groups and destabilising regions across the world.

Rubio said that Iran has consistently supported violent organisations and invested heavily in proxy warfare instead of improving the lives of its own citizens. Rubio said, 'On the other hand, Iran likes to sponsor proxy groups of terrorists. And these terrorists don't care what they blow up. They blow up anything and everyone. Okay, this is who we're dealing with.'

Accusing Tehran of involvement in global terror attacks, he added, 'This is an Iran that not long ago, through their Hezbollah proxies, blew up a Jewish centre in Argentina and killed a bunch of people. This is an Iran that innovated the use of roadside bombs that killed and maimed a bunch of people, including American servicemen, but a bunch of other people.'

Rubio further alleged that Iran has orchestrated assassinations and attacks targeting civilians and dissidents worldwide. 'This is an Iran that has organised the assassinations and the attempted assassinations of people all over the world, including civilians and dissidents and people that don't agree with, there is no nation on earth that sponsors more terrorism than Iran,' he said.

The US Secretary of State also criticised the Iranian leadership for prioritising support to militant organisations over domestic development. 'They didn't spend their millions and millions on building roads and bridges and improving the lives of their people. That's why their people are always in the street protesting because their economy's been in shambles. After all, they don't invest in their economy,' Rubio said.

'They would rather invest in Hezbollah. They would rather invest in the rapists and the murderers of Hamas. They would rather invest in those groups than they do in their own people. That's what Iran invests in,' he added.

Rubio also accused Iran of threatening maritime security in the Persian Gulf and disrupting international waterways. 'The world's leading sponsor of terrorism is Iran. And look at what they're doing now. They are holding hostage civilian vessels, including ships that have now been stuck in the Persian Gulf. They've laid mines in an international waterway,' he said.

Despite his criticism, Rubio said Washington remains committed to pursuing diplomacy. 'And yet despite all of that, the United States remains committed to finding a peaceful, diplomatic solution to this crisis,' Rubio stated.

'But let's be clear who we're talking about here. We're not talking about some pacifist government over there or some pacifist regime. We're talking about one of the most vicious regimes on the face of the earth and in modern history. That's what we're dealing with,' he added.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also indicated that 'significant progress' has been made in ongoing diplomatic efforts concerning Iran, stating that an announcement could be possible later today regarding a deal with Iran.

Any potential breakthrough over the Strait of Hormuz would depend on Iran accepting and complying with a proposed framework under discussion, Rubio said, stressing that Tehran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon.

Addressing reporters in New Delhi, alongside External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Rubio suggested that further announcements on the issue could come later in the day from US President Donald Trump.

'On the Iran situation, there'll be, I believe, maybe more news coming out a little bit later today on this topic, and I'll leave it to the President to make further announcements on it,' Rubio said.

'We think we've made some progress on the outline of something that, if it works, could give us that outcome,' Rubio said.

He added, 'Suffice it to say that some progress has been made, significant progress, although not final progress has been made,' adding that any agreement would require 'full Iranian acceptance and then compliance.'

'There is the possibility that over the next few hours, the world will get some good news,' Rubio said, referring to developments related to the Strait of Hormuz.

Reiterating Washington's long-standing position on Tehran's nuclear ambitions, Rubio said, ' I remind everybody that the ultimate goal is that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.' (ANI)