Secretary Rubio says UN 'powerless' to stop Iran, only US freed Gaza captives, stopped Tehran's nuclear program

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called attention to the United Nations failure to address world conflicts, while highlighting U.S. action, in a speech to the 2026 Munich Security Conference. 

In a speech largely addressing the European leaders in the audience, Secretary Rubio spoke of the U.S.’s European heritage, which he said is currently being undermined by mass migration and economic policies. 

However, Secretary Rubio had sharp words for the world body. While speaking of the need for nations to place their own “vital interests” above the “global order,” Rubio said, “We do not need to abandon the system of international cooperation we authored, and we don’t need to dismantle the global institutions of the old order that together we built. But these must be reformed.” 

“For example, the United Nations still has tremendous potential to be a tool for good in the world,” he continued. “But we cannot ignore that today, on the most pressing matters before us, it has no answers and has played virtually no role.” 

Secretary Rubio pointed out that the UN “could not solve the war in Gaza.” 

🚨 BREAKING FROM GERMANY 🚨 Sec. of State Marco Rubio just dropped a NUCLEAR truth bomb at the Munich Security Conference 🔥 He SLAMMED the globalists and OFFICIALLY declared the UN USELESS: > “We no longer put the so-called ‘global order’ above the VITAL interests of OUR people… pic.twitter.com/gz2wtZIpul

— Miguel (@Sihman) February 15, 2026

“Instead, it was American leadership that freed captives from barbarians and brought about a fragile truce,” Rubio stated. “It had not solved the war in Ukraine. It took American leadership and partnership with many of the countries here today just to bring the two sides to the table in search of a still-elusive peace.” 

He also highlighted the UN’s inability to solve other globals issues, such as the nuclear threat from Iran, or deal with Venezuelan dictator Nikolas Maduro. 

“It was powerless to constrain the nuclear program of radical Shia clerics in Tehran. That required 14 bombs dropped with precision from American B-2 bombers,” Rubio remarked.  “And it was unable to address the threat to our security from a narcoterrorist dictator in Venezuela. Instead, it took American Special Forces to bring this fugitive to justice.” 

Rubio further identified a problem of hypocrisy within the UN, stating, “In a perfect world, all of these problems and more would be solved by diplomats and strongly worded resolutions. But we do not live in a perfect world, and we cannot continue to allow those who blatantly and openly threaten our citizens and endanger our global stability to shield themselves behind abstractions of international law which they themselves routinely violate.” 

While Secretary Rubio did not directly address the killing of Iranian protesters by the Islamic Republic’s security forces, the issue was raised by almost 250,000 people who gathered in Munich during the conference to demonstrate against the regime. 

The demonstration took place while exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi was addressing the Security Conference, warning of more deaths in Iran if “democracies stand by and watch.” 

Pahlavi also renewed his call to U.S. President Donald Trump to send the help he had promised to the Iranian people. 

“The Iranian people heard you say help is on the way, and they have faith in you. Help them,” Pahlavi continued. “It is time to end the Islamic Republic. This is the demand echoing from the bloodshed of my compatriots who are not asking us to fix the regime but to help them bury it.”