Marco Rubio calls Amnesty International a fraud over US war‑crime accusations in Iran

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Amnesty International a fraud on Oct. 8, 2026, during a media interview in Lisbon, after the organization accused the United States of war crimes in Iran.

The statement came as Rubio was fielding a reporter’s question about Amnesty’s claim that Portugal should not support war crimes. He shifted focus to the Iranian regime, arguing that its own actions constitute the real war crimes in the region.

Rubio said the Iranian government has murdered tens of thousands of people in the streets of Tehran and other cities, and has entered hospitals to kill injured protesters, sometimes targeting doctors and nurses who provided care. He framed those actions as crimes against humanity perpetrated by Iran against its own citizens.

"You know what I think Amnesty International should be focused on? An Iranian regime that murdered in cold blood tens of thousands of people in the streets of Tehran and other parts of the country. What Amnesty International should focus on is how the Iranian regime goes into hospitals when protesters are injured and murders the people in their hospital bed, and sometimes murders the doctors or the nurses who treated them. Those are war crimes. Those are crimes against humanity," Rubio said.

Rubio made the remarks while on a European tour that included stops in Iceland, Greece and Portugal. In Portugal he thanked the government for allowing the United States to use Lajes Field air base in the Azores during Operation Epic Fury and for its support of U.S. actions against Iran. He also held a joint press briefing with Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel.

The comments underscore growing friction between the U.S. administration and international human‑rights groups over how the Iran conflict is framed, and they may shape future diplomatic engagement with both Amnesty International and Tehran.