SECRETARY RUBIO: I think what President Trump has exposed is that the number one driver of instability, war, conflict, and the number one obstacle to peace in the Middle East is the Islamic regime in Tehran.

An Israeli citizen was attacked in Istanbul during a clash with pro-Palestinian demonstrators Claudia Medina Halfon was confronted and harassed by protesters while shopping at İstinyePark mall. A group of about 25 activists surrounded her, filmed her up close, and waved Turkish and Palestinian flags. They chanted “Down with Zionism!” and “We don’t want Zionists in our country,” and called her a “terrorist” and a “child killer.” Mall security stepped in, backed her into a corner, then escorted her out of the building. Halfon holds Israeli and Turkish citizenship. She works in medical tourism, arranging travel and procedures for Israelis visiting Turkey.

For nearly half a century, Iranian Americans have helped build and strengthen this country through their contributions to business, medicine, science, and education. Today, I call on my fellow Iranians in America, and on every American who values freedom, peace, stability, and economic security, to make your voices heard at the ballot box this November, and to consider the freedom of Iran as an important issue when casting your vote. Because a free Iran is better for everyone. It is better for the people of Iran, who deserve to live with dignity, speak freely, and choose their own leaders without fear. It is better for the world. For more than four decades, the Islamic Republic has armed militias, financed terrorism, and destabilized its neighbors. Its actions have claimed countless innocent lives and spread violence, chaos, and insecurity across the Middle East, Europe, and beyond. And it is better for the American people. Today, the Islamic Republic’s disruption of the Strait of Hormuz is driving economic pressure all the way to American gas pumps and grocery stores. A free Iran means secure and open shipping lanes, more stable energy markets, and a nation of 90 million people ready to trade and cooperate with America instead of threatening it. There can be no lasting peace or stability with a regime whose leaders chant “Death to America.” That is why I urge you to vote and to encourage your family and friends to do the same. Ask every candidate, Republican or Democrat, whether they understand that the problem is the regime itself. As you cast your vote, consider where each candidate stands: with the Iranian people or with those who oppress them. The Islamic Republic is not the solution to the crisis. It is the root of the crisis. And the only lasting solution is to remove that root, the regime itself. Reza Pahlavi