--- title: Rubio: Iran Could Nuke California description: In appearance before donors to the Koch political network, the Florida Senator warns Tehran is capable of launching nuclear attack on U.S. canonical: https://time.com/3981521/marco-rubio-nuclear-iran/ author: Philip Elliott article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-02T21:01:25.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:58:19.375Z article:section: Politics og:title: Rubio Warns Donors That An Attack Is Coming From Iran og:description: The Republican White House hopeful offers dour outlook about Tehran and nukes. og:url: https://time.com/3981521/marco-rubio-nuclear-iran/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt872d643ed234aed3/69885d7e3c163923cc459147/sen-marco-rubio2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Marco Rubio og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Rubio Warns Donors That An Attack Is Coming From Iran twitter:description: The Republican White House hopeful offers dour outlook about Tehran and nukes. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt872d643ed234aed3/69885d7e3c163923cc459147/sen-marco-rubio2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Rubio: Iran Could Nuke California Within a Decade > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=9c301e93-6a94-40d4-b6e6-46aa62c91e09&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Sen. Marco Rubio Announces Presidential Run [Watch (HLS stream): Sen. Marco Rubio Announces Presidential Run](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/V8sAhoUW.m3u8) (1:39)  _Published 2015-04-14. Sen. Marco Rubio announced on Monday that he is running for president._  by [Philip Elliott / Dana Point, Calif.](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott / Dana Point, Calif. Senior Correspondent Aug 2, 2015 9:01 PM UTC  Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Carolyn Kaster—AP  by [Philip Elliott / Dana Point, Calif.](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott / Dana Point, Calif. Senior Correspondent Aug 2, 2015 9:01 PM UTC Sen. Marco Rubio warned Sunday the shores of California are only a decade away from being darkened by a nuclear mushroom cloud from Iran. Speaking to some of the most influential Republican donors in the country at an Orange County retreat organized by billionaires Charles and David Koch, the Florida Republican sounded the alarm that Iran proses a real and short-term threat to Americans at home. Before a crowd of 450 donors, Rubio said Americans need to realize the dangers posed by an unchecked Iran, as well as rising threats from China and Islamic terrorism. “Iran will be not just a nuclear weapon power, but will have the capability to deliver that weapon to the continental United States in less than a decade,” Rubio said. “I don’t think any of us wants to live in a country where a radical Shiite cleric in Tehran can have a nuclear weapon and an ICBM that can hit where we are sitting right now.” Rubio is among the five Republican White House hopefuls who are meeting with key players of the political machine backed by the Kochs. In total, the groups plan to spend almost $900 million before Election Day 2016, although aides stress that the sum is not going to be spent entirely on political operations. During an interview with _Politico’s_ Mike Allen, Rubio told the donors that foreign policy should be a major qualification of the next President. Asked about the biggest threats facing the United States, Rubio cited Islamic terrorism, Russia and Iran. He also pointed to China, which he branded a serial violator of human rights. “I don’t want the most powerful country in the world to have values like that.” He also took his turn with the friendly audience to ding Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State. “It’s an issue that’s ongoing not just with her but also her husband, and that is the constant secrecy and drama that surrounds them everywhere they go,” Rubio said. “This country cannot afford another four years of drama that they seem to bring to everything that they’re involved in.” ## Transcript [00:01] But this election is not just about what laws we're going [00:03] to pass. This election is a generational choice [00:07] about what kind of country we will be. Now just [00:11] yesterday, a leader from yesterday. Began [00:21] a campaign for president by promising to take us back [00:24] to yesterday. Yesterday is [00:30] over. [ APPLAUSE ] [00:34] [ APPLAUSE ] [00:38] And [00:41] we're never going back. [ APPLAUSE ] You see, we [00:45] Americans are proud of our history, but our country [00:48] has always been about the future. And before us now [00:52] is the opportunity to author the greatest chapter yet in [00:55] the amazing story of America. But we can't do that by [00:59] going back to the leaders and ideas of the past. We [01:02] must change the decisions we are making, by changing [01:06] the people who are making them. [ NOISE ] And so, [01:12] [ NOISE ] that [01:18] is why tonight, grounded by the lessons of our [01:21] history ,. But inspired by the promise of our future, [01:25] I announce my candidacy for President of the United [01:29] States. 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