Asked if he will call for a ceasefire, Sen. Marco Rubio informs activist that he wants the 'vicious animals' of Hamas destroyed



When asked by an activist whether he will press for a ceasefire in Gaza, Sen. Marco Rubio indicated that he wants Israel to "destroy every element of Hamas they can get their hands on," describing the terrorists as "vicious animals who did horrifying crimes."

When asked about civilians being killed, Rubio said that he blames Hamas, which "should stop hiding behind civilians, putting civilians in the way."

CODEPINK co-fouder Medea Benjamin, who appears to have been the activist asking Rubio questions in the video, shared footage of the exchange, tweeting, "We encountered Senator Rubio today. He wants Israel to keep bombing Gaza until 'they destroy every element of Hamas.' He doesn't get it: Bombing creates MORE resistance. There will never be peace in Israel until there is justice for Palestinians."

— (@)

GOP Rep. Chip Roy of Texas praised Rubio for making the comments: "Serious kudos to @marcorubio for unabashedly speaking the truth here. #BlameHamas."

Rubio espoused the same view last month shortly after Hamas terrorists perpetrated unspeakable atrocities in Israel.

"Hamas exists for one reason alone, to wipe out the Jewish state of Israel. So Israel has only one option in response to yesterday's barbaric attack, the permanent elimination of Hamas. Anyone demanding Israel not 'escalate' or calling for a 'cease-fire' is either out of touch with this unfortunate reality or sympathizes with Hamas," Rubio tweeted in October.

"There can be no cease-fire, negotiated solution or peaceful coexistence with depraved barbarians who murder teen-aged girls,children & the elderly and then dump them in the streets of Gaza so bloodthirsty crowds can desecrate their bodies? Hamas must be eradicated & Israel must respond DISPROPORTIONATELY to this & to any futures attacks from any enemy," he wrote last month.

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David Hogg says Marco Rubio cancelled meeting over being 'triggered' but apologizes after Rubio's staff calls him out: 'Don’t lie again — we have receipts.'



Gun control advocate David Hogg said that Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida cancelled a meeting after getting "triggered" but he apologized after Rubio's staff called him out publicly for lying.

Hogg tweeted about the canceled meeting on Thursday from his social media account.

“Rubio staff said I can’t meet with him or his staff because I ‘trigger’ him. I just wanna have a conversation,” Hogg tweeted out. "Please meet with me @marcorubio I just want to figure out how we can stop these things from happening. We have to end the continuous debate and find out what we can agree on."

Rubio's chief of staff Michael Needham excoriated Hogg and called him out.

“No one said such a thing. As for the meeting, you must be confused as we had a 2p meeting scheduled with you,” Needham tweeted. “However, since you are lying and clearly using this all for self-promotion, that meeting is now cancelled.”

\u201cNo one said such a thing. As for the meeting, you must be confused as we had a 2p meeting scheduled with you. However, since you are lying and clearly using this all for self-promotion, that meeting is now cancelled.\u201d
— Michael Needham (@Michael Needham) 1654791774

“Also, the reporter doing a profile of you knows the meeting is real since she was emailing yesterday with our comms team about it,” Needham said in a second tweet.

“Don’t lie again — we have receipts," he threatened.

Hogg apologized soon after.

"[A]n honest mistake, got our meetings confused in the flurry and my staff misinformed me. I apologize. We’d still love to meet with you and have an honest, respectful discussion," read his tweet.

"Deleted the tweet bc it wasn’t true but attaching here for transparency," he added.

Hogg has been a vocal advocate for gun control since the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School while he was attending. More recently, he complained about how difficult regulation had made it for him to start a company, prompting many on the right to ridicule him for supporting Democrats who pass laws to increase regulations.

Here's more about David Hogg's mission for gun control:

David Hogg FINDS Conservatism by Mistake | @Chad Pratherwww.youtube.com

Biden slashes distribution of monoclonal antibodies to red states, Marco Rubio reacts: 'This reeks of politics'



The Biden administration is cutting back the supply of monoclonal antibodies, a COVID-19 treatment featuring a lab-engineered protein, in several red states. There has been a backlash to the reduction of the potentially lifesaving treatment, especially in Florida, where monoclonal antibodies are being used the most.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on Monday that the agency is taking over the distribution of monoclonal antibodies to states. Previously, the states ordered therapeutics from the federal government.

"HHS will determine the amount of product each state and territory receives on a weekly basis. State and territorial health departments will subsequently identify sites that will receive product and how much," an HHS spokesman told the Washington Post. "This system will help maintain equitable distribution, both geographically and temporally, across the country — providing states and territories with consistent, fairly-distributed supply over the coming weeks."

The policy shift will affect seven red states the most: Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana, which have accounted for 70% of monoclonal antibodies orders, CNN reported.

"Given this reality, we must work to ensure our supply of these life-saving therapies remains available for all states and territories, not just some," an HHS spokesperson said.

Florida has received the most doses of monoclonal antibodies, followed by Texas. Florida received 30,950 doses this week, after the Sunshine State requested 72,000 doses, according to the governor's office. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis established 25 clinics that offer monoclonal antibody treatments; the first was opened on Aug. 12 in Jacksonville. The clinics have administered 90,000 monoclonal antibody doses, according to DeSantis.

DeSantis slammed President Joe Biden for the "abrupt" cut in monoclonal antibodies.

"We are very, very concerned with the Biden administration and the HHS's recent, abrupt, sudden announcement that they are going to dramatically cut the number of monoclonal antibodies that are going to be sent to the state of Florida," DeSantis said during a press conference on Thursday. "There's going to be a huge disruption and patients are going to suffer as a result of this."

"We've been thrown a major curveball here with a really huge cut," DeSantis added. "We're going to make sure we leave no stone unturned. Whoever needs a treatment, we're going to work like hell to get them the treatment."

"Many thousands would have ended up in the hospital, and of course, some of them would have ended up dying, so it has saved lives here in the state of Florida," DeSantis said of the monoclonal antibody treatment.

"The bottom line is this: COVID is a treatable illness. And we have to never go back to the days where particularly high-risk people get infected and were told to just go home and hope they don't get deathly ill," DeSantis declared.

Sen. Marco Rubio blasted the Biden administration for reducing Florida's supply of COVID-19 treatments.

"Antibody treatments aren't a substitute for vaccines But they have prevented thousands of hospitalizations including in breakthrough cases," Rubio wrote on Twitter. "Now in a move that reeks of partisan payback against states like Florida, the Biden administration is rationing these treatments."

"This reeks of politics. This is the Biden administration punishing Florida," Sen. Marco Rubio said in a video. "They're saying to states like Florida, 'Oh yeah, you're not gonna have mandates? You're not gonna do what we want you to do? Well then guess what, we're gonna cut off your antibody treatments and your access to them.'"

Every day it’s something new with these people in the White House The decision to ration antibody treatments prov… https://t.co/uc5nFQmz6z

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) 1631811556.0

The Biden administration has made monoclonal antibody treatments a priority in its "Path out of the Pandemic" plan.

"Monoclonal antibody treatments have been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization by up to 70% for unvaccinated people at risk of developing severe disease. As hospital systems experience increased COVID-19 cases, many have identified monoclonal antibody treatment as a key tool to improve health outcomes, prevent hospitalizations and reduce the strain on overburdened hospitals," the plan states.

DeSantis noted that 52% of COVID-19 patients who were treated at the Broward monoclonal antibody treatment site had already been vaccinated, and 69% of those treated at the site with monoclonal antibodies were over 65 years old and vaccinated.

With the supply of monoclonal antibodies being cut by more than half by the Biden administration, DeSantis said he would attempt to secure a new monoclonal antibody treatment from another pharmaceutical company – GlaxoSmithKline.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced on Tuesday that the U.S. government had purchased 1.4 million additional doses of its COVID-19 antibody cocktail, which brings the total bought to nearly 3 million doses. Regeneron will supply the upcoming doses between now and the end of January 2022. The monoclonal antibody treatment costs $2,100 per dose, according to Regeneron, which adds up to revenues of $2.9 billion.

Ex-Obama adviser says Biden should fire his national security adviser over 'botched' Afghanistan withdrawal



As the U.S. withdraws from Afghanistan and the world witnesses the Taliban swiftly taking control in that country, the Biden administration is facing criticism.

Brett Bruen, who served as director of global engagement at the Obama White House, wrote in an opinion piece that national security adviser Jake Sullivan should be fired.

"The disaster that unfolded in Afghanistan is illustrative of other major issues at the White House. The people, plans and processes the president has put in place to keep America safe are not working," Bruen declared.

He contended that Sullivan and others connected with the bungled U.S. military withdrawal should be fired:

Yes, we were always going to pull out. It was a question of how and when. Both of those were decisions that Sullivan had to use his role to carefully guide.

Unfortunately, it seems he allowed the president's push for an end to our involvement in the country ahead of Sept. 11 to drive the American timeline. That was a catastrophic error. Our people were unprepared. We failed to get them out of harm's way. The Afghan government and military clearly were not ready, either.

President Biden needs to fire his national security adviser and several other senior leaders who oversaw the botched execution of our withdrawal from Afghanistan. He has to restructure how and with whom he is making major foreign policy decisions, allowing for more input from career experts.

Ryan Crocker, who has previously served as the ambassador to several countries including Afghanistan, expressed concern about President Biden's leadership capability.

"I'm left with some grave questions in my mind about his [President Biden's] ability to lead our nation as commander-in-chief," Crocker said, according to the Spokesman-Review. "To have read this so wrong – or, even worse, to have understood what was likely to happen and not care."

Many Republican lawmakers have levied criticism against Biden.

"The issue isn't that we left," Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) tweeted. "The issue is how we left," he continued. "On a timetable certain to result in chaos & without a plan in place to prevent the return & resurgence of Al Qaeda."

"The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan is shameful, a sincere tragedy, and a complete leadership failure by this president—and it was all entirely avoidable," Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa said in a statement. "This mishandled and haphazard withdrawal executed by this president caused so much of the collapse and panic we are witnessing now and is an international embarrassment and a black-eye for our country that will put more Americans and allies in harms' way while emboldening our adversaries."

A recent survey found that a significant majority of likely general election voters disapprove of Biden's handling of America's military operations in Afghanistan. A whopping 59.5% strongly disapprove, while 9.8% disapprove, making a total of 69.3% who either disapprove or strongly disapprove.

Biden defenders trying to twist the #Afghanistan debacle into a debate about the decision to leave The issue isn’… https://t.co/mQ8HPs6Lmm

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) 1629150165.0

Marco Rubio makes irresistible offer to Black Lives Matter leaders after they voice support for Cuban regime



Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) made an offer to Black Lives Matter this week after the far-left organization voiced support for the Cuban communist regime amid the Cuban people protesting for freedom.

What did Rubio offer?

Rubio said Thursday that his Senate office is prepared to use its resources to help the leaders of Black Lives Matter emigrant to Cuba.

"My office stands ready to help the leaders of the Black Lives Matter organization emigrate to #Cuba," Rubio said.

My office stands ready to help the leaders of the Black Lives Matter organization emigrate to #Cuba

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) 1626378640.0

"The extortionist ring known as the Black Lives Matter organization took a break today from shaking down corporations for millions & buying themselves mansions to share their support for the Communist regime in #Cuba," Rubio said earlier.

What did BLM say?

Black Lives Matter released a statement Wednesday night declaring support for Cuba's communist government and spreading false claims about the U.S. embargo against Cuba.

The statement said, in part:

Black Lives Matter condemns the U.S. federal government's inhumane treatment of Cubans, and urges it to immediately lift the economic embargo. This cruel and inhumane policy, instituted with the explicit intention of destabilizing the country and undermining Cuban's right to choose their own government, is at the heart of the current crisis. Since 1962, the United States has forced pain and suffering on the people of Cuba by cutting off food, medicine and supplies, costing the tiny island nation an estimated $130 billion.

The statement went on to claim that "the people of Cuba are being punished by the U.S. government," and praised the Cuban government for providing refuge to "black revolutionaries like Assata Shakur," who was convicted of murdering New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster. Shakur escaped prison in 1979 and fled to Cuba, where she was granted asylum by Fidel Castro.

The statement triggered massive backlash against Black Lives Matter.

Black Lives Matter's praise of Cuba's government was not exactly surprising given the organization commemorated Castro's death by saying, "Rest in Power." BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors has also admitted the organization's leaders are "trained Marxists."

Black Lives Matter has not responded to Rubio's offer.

Anything else?

Despite claims to the contrary, the U.S. embargo does not block food, medicine, and other humanitarian supplies from reaching Cuba.

The State Department has confirmed this fact.

"[T]he State Department said it expedites any request to export humanitarian or medical supplies to Cuba; the U.S. embargo allows the export of agricultural products and food, medicine and medical equipment, and humanitarian goods to the island," NBC News reported.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls for US to ditch 'absurdly cruel' embargo on Cuba



Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) issued a statement Thursday night in which she expressed support for the Cuban people and decried "anti-democratic actions" led by Cuba President Miguel Díaz-Canel, while also calling for an end to the U.S. embargo against Cuba which she described as "absurdly cruel."

"We are seeing Cubans rise up and protest for their rights like never before. We stand in solidarity with them, and we condemn the anti-democratic actions led by President Díaz-Canel. The suppression of the media, speech and protest are all gross violations of civil rights," Ocasio-Cortez said in the statement.

But then the Democratic lawmaker who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2019 went on to say that the embargo should be eliminated and to claim that "cruelty is the point" of the embargo.

"We must also name the U.S. contribution to Cuban suffering: our sixty-year-old embargo. Last month, once again, the U.N. voted overwhelmingly to call on the United States to lift its embargo on Cuba. The embargo is absurdly cruel and, like too many other U.S. policies targeting Latin Americans, the cruelty is the point. I outright reject the Biden administration's defense of the embargo. It is never acceptable for us to use cruelty as a point of leverage against every day people," she declared.

We stand in solidarity with the Cuban people and condemn the suppression of the media, speech and protest. We als… https://t.co/R8fr6dQKeC

— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) 1626394170.0

The congresswoman's statement comes after Black Lives Matter recently issued a statement calling for the U.S. to lift the embargo.

"Black Lives Matter condemns the U.S. federal government's inhumane treatment of Cubans, and urges it to immediately lift the economic embargo. This cruel and inhumane policy, instituted with the explicit intention of destabilizing the country and undermining Cubans' right to choose their own government, is at the heart of Cuba's current crisis. Since 1962, the United States has forced pain and suffering on the people of Cuba by cutting off food, medicine and supplies, costing the tiny island nation an estimated $130 billion," the statement began.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who is a child of Cuban immigrants, said in a tweet Thursday that socialism, not an embargo, is to blame for Cubans' suffering.

"The U.S. is the largest provider of food to #Cuba & each year sends $275 million in medicine & $3 billion in remittances to relatives," the senator tweeted. "The suffering in Cuba isn't because of an embargo,it's because socialism always leads to suffering."

In another tweet, Rubio shared an image of an article titled, "After widespread protests, Cuban government lifts restrictions to import food, medicines."

In his tweet, Rubio commented: "Wait… #Cuba had restrictions on importing food & medicine? How can that be? All week long the national media has been reporting it's the US embargo restricting food & medicine to Cuba. There is just no way these fine journalists would fall for the regimes spin that easily."

Wait… #Cuba had restrictions on importing food & medicine? How can that be? All week long the national media ha… https://t.co/b2sj0NsLRn

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) 1626385980.0

While Biden does little, Florida boat owners are running supplies to Cubans fighting for freedom



As the federal government appears to be standing pat amid pro-democracy protests in Cuba offering little more than words, local boat owners in Florida are taking action by running food and supplies to Cuban protesters fighting for their freedom.

What are the details?

A large group of boat owners inspired by the protests packed food, water, and medicine and started making trips to the island on Monday, WBFS-TV reported.

"We are just bringing supplies. They are trying to create a group to take on water, food, medicine, whatever we can to take a Cuba," one boat owner, Dennis Suayero, told the news outlet. "We are just waiting for the approval so we can enter and give it to them."

They reportedly said that if they're allowed to get close enough, they plan to hand over all the food and water to the protesters. Even if they can't get close enough, though, they hope their gesture will be an encouragement.

Coast Guard Warning Isn't Stopping Local Boat Owners From Attempting To Take Supplies To Cuba youtu.be

"We're going to Havana. If we have to intervene, if we have to stay, we'll do what we have to do," another participant, Santiago Rivero, posted on his Instagram, according to the Miami Herald. Rivero is reportedly a local Cuban American influencer with a large following.

"The [U.S.] president has done nothing, supposedly. At a minimum, we want to stand at the border of what are the Havana limits," he added.

What else?

The group's brave humanitarian actions come in the face of resistance from the federal government, as the U.S. Coast Guard this week warned Floridians not to make the trip.

#ThisJustIn - Please read Rear Admiral Eric C. Jones, Commander, @USCG Seventh District & Director, DHS Joint Task… https://t.co/l6BLxPjZ5B

— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) 1626132007.0

Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, himself the son of Cuban immigrants, declared that the U.S. would not accept Cuban refugees seeking escape from the communist country.

"Allow me to be clear: If you take to the sea, you will not come to the United States," Mayorkas said in a speech Tuesday.

"If individuals make, establish a well-founded fear of persecution or torture, they are referred to third countries for resettlement," he added. "They will not enter the United States."

Many in the U.S. are urging the Biden administration to take action in support of the Cuban people and against the oppressive communist regime, especially as reports have surfaced indicating the regime has begun cracking down on the protest movement by shutting off the internet and violently rounding up protesters.

So far, however, the Biden administration has only offered words of support.

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), whose parents escaped Cuba in the 1950s, is asking for more:

After our meeting with @WhiteHouse yesterday we wrote a follow up to @Potus on 4 specific actions on #Cuba… https://t.co/eoIWmKlPMr

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) 1626312450.0

'This is INSANE': Nikki Haley blasts Sec. of State Blinken's move to invite UN scrutiny of the US



Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently announced that the U.S. is offering a visit to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism as well as to the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues.

Blinken said in a statement Tuesday that the U.S. "intends to issue a formal, standing invitation to all UN experts who report and advise on thematic human rights issues. As a first step, we have reached out to offer an official visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism and the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues," the secretary of state noted.

"Responsible nations must not shrink from scrutiny of their human rights record; rather, they should acknowledge it with the intent to improve. I urge all UN member states to join the United States in this effort, and confront the scourge of racism, racial discrimination, and xenophobia. Because when all people – regardless of their race or ethnicity – are free to live up to their full potential, our collective security is strengthened," Blinken said.

The invitation to scrutinize the U.S. while nations around the globe flagrantly violate basic human rights did not sit well with Nikki Haley, who previously served as U.S. ambassador to the UN during part of Trump's White House tenure.

"China has 1M Uyghurs in concentration camps, Cuba is beating protesters, and Venezuela is torturing political prisoners. Yet Biden's Secretary of State is inviting the UN to investigate human rights in the United States — the freest, fairest country in the world. This is INSANE," Haley tweeted.

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, a child of Cuban immigrants who has served as a senator from Florida since 2011, also criticized the decision.

"@SecBlinken instead of asking the @UN to come here & tell us how 'racist' America is, why don't you ask them to go to #Cuba where an evil socialist regime storms into peoples homes,beats the crap out of them & then drags them away?" Rubio tweeted.

.@SecBlinken instead of asking the @UN to come here & tell us how “racist” America is, why don’t you ask them to go… https://t.co/5JwUoewZI8

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) 1626271240.0

According to a bio posted on the website of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, "E. Tendayi Achiume is the fifth Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance."

Her bio states that she "is currently a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law, and a research associate of the African Center for Migration and Society (ACMS), at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa."

Fernand de Varennes is the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues. According to his bio, he "is Extraordinary Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Pretoria (South Africa), Adjunct Professor at the National University of Ireland-Galway (Ireland), and Cheng Yu Tung Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong (China)."

VIDEO: Cubans wave American flag, chant 'Liberty!' in mass protests against communist dictatorship



In what some are calling the largest mass demonstration in 50 years, thousands of Cubans flooded the streets on Sunday in protest of the country's oppressive communist regime.

What happened?

Protesters in dozens of cities — from San Antonio de los Baños to Palma Soriano to the nation's capital, Havana — reportedly chanted "Liberty!" and "Freedom!" while they marched against the country's failed communist dictatorship.

"The people are dying of hunger!" one woman reportedly shouted during a demonstration in Artemisa. "Our children are dying of hunger!" Still others reportedly chanted, "We are not afraid!"

In at least one widely circulated video on social media, protesters can be seen carrying and waving the American flag as they shouted for freedom.

#Soscuba #Cuba Protestas en La Habana contra el régimen castrista, EL PUEBLO PIDE LIBERTAD! #Americateve… https://t.co/Nq1HqHKMOA

— Americateve (@Americateve) 1626036848.0

Reflecting on the video, conservative media strategist and former writer for TheBlaze Giancarlo Sopo wrote, "This is deeply moving. Watch as Cubans wave the American flag while marching against the island's 62-year-old communist dictatorship on the streets of Havana."

"Never forget what America represents to millions across the world," he added.

Several other commentators on social media also noted how the Cuban people — who have experienced firsthand the persecution that communism brings — still view the American flag as a symbol of hope and freedom.

Yet sadly in America and largely within the Democratic Party, there are many who view the flag much differently. They have some to see it as a representation of oppression and white supremacy.

JUST IN - Mass protests erupt in several cities in #Cuba over the poor state of the socialized medical system. Prot… https://t.co/huKMMmWFs7

— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) 1626034090.0

What else?

The spontaneous mass protests were considered shocking to many since the communist regime in Cuba is known for forcefully cracking down on dissent.

But based on photos and videos posted to social media, in many areas the sheer size of the crowds overwhelmed police. In one city, protesters appeared to overrun and take control of a local communist party office.

We have NEVER seen a day like today in #Cuba 62 years of misery, repression & lies boiling over into organic, gra… https://t.co/rP3RGMoVFE

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) 1626049065.0

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, warned that the communist regime will likely move to shut off internet and cell phone service in the country in response to the freedom rallies.

He also requested on Twitter that President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken call on members of the Cuban military not to fire on demonstrators.

In a statement obtained by the McClatchy news group, Biden reportedly expressed support for the Cuban people.

"We stand with the Cuban people and their clarion call for freedom and relief from the tragic grip of the pandemic and from the decades of repression and economic suffering to which they have been subjected by Cuba's authoritarian regime," the president said.

US concerned as Iranian warships cross Atlantic — reportedly headed for Venezuela and carrying arms



The Biden administration, Pentagon and several U.S. lawmakers are expressing concern as Iranian warships are making their way across the Atlantic Ocean, reportedly headed for Venezuela to make good on delivering arms in a deal the two nations made last year.

What are the details?

Politico reported Wednesday that as of that morning, two Iranian warships believed to be carrying arms "had completed more than half the journey from Iran to Venezuela, and were steaming slowly northwest more than 1,000 miles from Cape Town, South Africa," according to a defense official, noting that this is the furthest the Iranian navy has ventured into the Atlantic.

A source told the outlet that the intelligence community "has evidence that one of the ships...is carrying fast-attack boats, likely intended for sale to Venezuela."

"The sale of the Iranian weapons happened one year ago under the previous [U.S.] administration and like many situations related to Iran under the previous administration — including the breakout of Iran's nuclear program following the Trump administration's reckless withdrawal from the [Iran nuclear deal] — we are working to resolve it through diplomacy," a senior Biden official told the outlet. "But to be clear, Iran sold weapons to Venezuela over a year ago, which we believe was to test the Trump administration's maximum pressure posture."

In reaction to the article, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) tweeted, "#Venezuela bought attack boats from #Iran last year, but only now are they trying to deliver them. Ignore the petty sniping from Biden official & focus on what matters. Either #Maduro unconditionally turns them away or U.S. should force them to turn around."

#Venezuela bought attack boats from #Iran last year,but only now are they trying to deliver themIgnore the petty… https://t.co/rxqhDut6du

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) 1623339906.0

AFP reported that during a congressional hearing on Thursday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) addressed the situation with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, asking the Pentagon chief whether the Biden administration "knows exactly what is on those Iranian vessels."

The Democrat noted that satellite imagery shows the fast-attack boats on the deck of one of the warships, but that "it's still unclear whether those boats were aboard when the ships began their journey."

Blumenthal also pointed out that "there are reports that Venezuela was considering purchasing missiles from Iran, including long range ones."

"I am absolutely concerned about the proliferation of weapons, any type of weapons, in our neighborhood," Austin told Blumenthal at one point, adding, "And so, I share your concern."

The Washington Post reported that the ships travelling through the Atlantic are the Iranian destroyer Sahand, and a support vessel named Makran.

The two ships began their voyage last month according to Iran's deputy Army chief, Adm. Habibollah Sayyari, and Iranian state-owned television provided footage of them chopping through the Atlantic waters.

"The Navy is improving its seafaring capacity and proving its long-term durability in unfavorable seas and the Atlantic's unfavorable weather conditions," Sayyari said, according to The Post.