Iran’s Escalating Threats and Repression: U.S. Ambassador Warns of Regime’s Unchanged Course

By Solange Reyner | Friday, 30 January 2026 10:41 AM EST

Iran has “not learned a thing” in recent months and has continued dangerous nuclear and military activity while escalating threats and internal repression, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee stated.

Speaking Friday, Huckabee said viewers who have followed Iran’s behavior should not be surprised by what he called the regime’s refusal to change course.

“I think everybody who’s here and is watching Iran understands,” Huckabee said. “They didn’t learn a thing last summer. You’d have thought they would have.”

Huckabee argued that instead of pulling back, Iran has pushed forward on multiple fronts, including efforts to strengthen its nuclear capabilities.

“But they’ve continued to try to rebuild their nuclear capacity,” he added. “They’ve added inventory to their ballistic missiles. They’ve continually made threats.”

Huckabee also condemned Iran’s treatment of its own citizens, accusing the regime of violent repression while prioritizing militant activity abroad.

“And on top of all of those things that threaten everyone else, they’ve murdered thousands of their own people who had the audacity to think that maybe their government ought to be ensuring that they have food and water,” Huckabee said.

He alleged the Iranian government has diverted resources away from domestic welfare and toward extremist operations abroad.

“Rather than just spending all of the money to pay for terrorist activities and murder people around the world,” he added.

Huckabee’s remarks came as Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the U.S. military buildup in the Middle East as a defensive posture meant to deter Iranian aggression and protect American personnel and allies.

The former Arkansas governor also addressed the Israel-Hamas conflict, pushing back on Hamas’ claim that it never agreed to disarm under the current ceasefire framework.

“All people have to do is read the peace agreement,” Huckabee said. “Hamas signed it. And in that peace agreement, it was very explicit Hamas must disarm. They have to demilitarize.”

“President Trump has said repeatedly there’s never been a variation,” he added. “They not only have to disarm, but they have to understand there’s no future for them in Gaza.”

Huckabee warned that Hamas is miscalculating Trump’s resolve.

“What they don’t understand about that is very difficult unless they’re deaf, dumb, and blind,” Huckabee said. “But I have a feeling President Trump will deliver one more of his promises to them if they don’t understand that he’s not kidding.”

The U.S. military has moved the USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers into the Middle East, but it remains unclear whether Trump will decide to use force.

Iran’s foreign minister announced Friday that his country is ready for dialogue to resolve tensions but that there are no concrete plans for talks with the United States — even as Tehran faces the threat of U.S. military action in response to the killing of demonstrators and over possible mass executions.