US Secretary of State: Iran is weaker than ever, and the death toll from the protests is in the thousands.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that Iran is “weaker than ever.” He also noted that the protests that have swept the country in recent months have resulted in thousands of deaths, according to US estimates. Despite this, the protests have subsided for the time being.

During a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio explained that while the protests in Iran may have temporarily subsided, they are likely to reignite in the future. He emphasized that public anger persists due to the deteriorating political and economic situation. He added that the events in Iran reflect the regime’s growing internal fragility, despite its attempts to project an image of control.

The US Secretary of State affirmed that Iranian influence in the region and internationally has clearly declined. He pointed out that Tehran no longer possesses the same capacity to exert influence, whether through its proxies or its foreign alliances.

In a related matter, Rubio addressed the developments in Venezuela. He asserted that the United States is “the only country in the world” capable of carrying out an operation that resulted in the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. He argued that the absence of the Maduro regime would be a better situation for both the United States and Venezuela.

Rubio noted that Washington had established a “respectful and productive” channel of communication with the current Venezuelan leadership. He expressed his belief that a U.S. diplomatic presence could be re-established in Venezuela in the near future. He added that the United States had repeatedly tried to persuade Maduro to step down voluntarily, but that he is “not someone you can make a deal with.”

The U.S. Secretary of State emphasized that curbing Iranian, Russian, and Chinese influence in Latin America would not have been possible without the recent U.S. action in Venezuela. He also stated that Washington’s objectives are to achieve stability and recovery, and to support a transition to a system based on freedom and democracy, while giving the opposition an active role in the country’s future.