Q: Amid increasing congressional scrutiny of Ambassador Guilfoyle’s tenure here, I’m wondering, Mr. Secretary, if you’ve personally reviewed some of those allegations and are confident that all is in compliance with State Department ethics.

Marco Rubio: This is not the forum where we’re going to address that. As simple as that. Suffice it to say, our embassy here is doing a great job.

Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here. The questions you’re asking me, we’re not addressing those at press conferences in Greece with a foreign minister, in another country.

Marco Rubio on Iran:

The Straits of Hormuz are open. There’s almost as much oil flowing out now as there was before this conflict began.

They’ve lost complete control of the straits.

Marco Rubio on Iran:

Every dollar and every penny that that regime gets, they don’t spend it on roads or bridges or helping improve the lives of the Iranian people.

They spend that money on Hezbollah and Hamas and militias that fire rockets out of Iraq and the Houthis.

They should have spent their money on their people, and instead they spend their money on terrorism and on weapons.

Reporter: Secretary, will the State Department continue telling foreign governments not to facilitate María Corina’s return to Venezuela?

Rubio: You said that’s widely reported at this point. By who? Who widely reported that?

Reporter: The Wall Street Journal has.

Rubio: So it’s in the newspaper, it’s true? I can show you a lot of articles that are in the newspaper that are not true.

I always love these stories. You guys get somebody to tell you something, then you report it. So now it’s an established fact, and then you ask me about it as if somehow I’m responding to something that is fact.

I don’t know what you’re talking about, honestly. I don’t know. Just because you guys report something doesn’t mean it’s true. You know this, right? I’m sure you know this.

So the premise to your question is not true. We’ve never asked anyone not to let anybody else in anywhere in the world. I’ve said this repeatedly. So I don’t know how to answer a question based on something that is false.

Greece's Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis:

Greece has a strategic relationship with Israel. We have already developed multifaceted cooperation with Israel.

Our understanding of the issues of the Middle East is absolutely shared with the U.S. Secretary of State.

WSJ reports that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has consolidated power at the department while clashing with staff and overseeing unusually high turnover.

More than a dozen current and former officials described him as demanding and quick-tempered, with several senior officials leaving after disputes with him. Seven Senate-confirmed Treasury officials had departed by the end of August, far more than under recent administrations.

At the same time, Bessent is under pressure over unmet economic goals. His “3-3-3” plan has fallen short: growth is around 2%, the deficit remains above 6% of GDP, oil production has risen by less than 1 million barrels a day, and U.S. debt has passed $40 trillion.

Rising Treasury yields have also pushed borrowing costs higher, while Bessent is leading the administration’s economic pressure campaign against Iran.

Despite criticism from Wall Street and inside Treasury, Trump has drawn Bessent closer, speaks with him almost daily and increasingly relies on him to manage economic policy.

Source: WSJ

Netanyahu:

We have done a lot — enormous things — but we have to complete the job.

Netanyahu on Iran:

Countries, even those that attack us, quietly, quietly say: "They have to fall. They are choking all of us."

We will make sure they fall. They will fall.

Netanyahu:

Go out and bring everyone — the grandmother, the aunt, the cousin, everyone.

It is either the right or Palestine — and Palestine is the end of Israel.

Netanyahu on Iran:

If we had not acted, atomic bombs would destroy 10 million Israelis. We would go up in smoke.

Netanyahu:

Most of the opposition believes in this Palestinian thing.

They haven’t learned anything.

NEW: Iran’s army spokesperson says the military can carry out preemptive operations if necessary.

Kremlin:

Europe is obsessed with the idea of militarization.

This is a dead-end path, as history shows, and it leads to nothing good.

Russia is on guard, we are closely monitoring all of this.

Future U.S. Army tanks and combat vehicles could be equipped with voice controls that let crews operate sensors, radios, drones and other onboard systems using plain-English commands.

The technology is being developed for vehicles including the next-generation tank and XM30, and could be added through future upgrades after testing with soldiers.

The goal is to make crew tasks faster and reduce the workload inside the vehicle.

Source: Axios

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian:

We will undoubtedly resist and will disappoint and frustrate the enemy.

We are negotiating with neighboring countries to meet some of our current needs.

But the main issue is relying on domestic capabilities, solidarity and cooperation with one another.

Iran's Ghalibaf:

The enemy’s plan is focused on violent actions inside the country.

This plan and strategy by the enemy show that our main priority must also be to strengthen economic resilience and ensure internal security.

Iranian General Mohammad Reza Naqdi:

The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and the armed forces have full control over it.

The volume of smuggled oil is very small, and it cannot be said that the Strait of Hormuz is open for such activities.

However, some people are using small vessels to smuggle oil and transfer it to tankers.

Soon, a small number of routes created by violators through blasting and destroying parts of the rocky areas in the Strait of Hormuz will be blocked.

Iranian General Mohammad Reza Naqdi:

The limited range of our weapons is not due to technical reasons, but is a matter of policy.

The range of Iran’s weapons is determined by officials and the Supreme Leader, in accordance with our needs.

Iranian General Mohammad Reza Naqdi:

Whenever the Supreme Leader gives authorization, we will increase the range of our weapons in line with the needs of the battlefield.

Since our weapons are domestically produced, we can increase their range and power according to the necessities and needs of the battlefield.

Russia’s Military Spending Set to Reach Record $199 Billion in 2026

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