US Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a speech in Athens, invoking ancient Greco-Persian Wars and calling Iran's current leaders "fanatics." Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei and parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf responded by referencing the Roman Emperor Valerian's capture by Persian forces, warning that "Anyone who brings history into this must be prepared for its repetition." Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Rubio of using an "America First" narrative to justify military escalation against Iran, calling his rhetoric "anachronism."