‘Imminent threat’: Marco Rubio warns against rise of radical Islam, announces US visa crackdown

He also announced that Washington will impose visa restrictions on individuals who “direct, authorise, fund or support” violence against Christians in Nigeria and elsewhere.

Speaking to Fox News, Rubio said the United States faces a significant danger from radical Islamist groups, which he claimed view America as “the chief source of evil on the planet.”

“Radical Islam isn’t content with controlling a single region or establishing a small caliphate,” Rubio said. “Its ideology is revolutionary. It aims to grow, to dominate, and to exert control over more lands and more populations.”

He added that this expansionist vision represents a clear threat not only to the West but particularly to the United States, which radical Islamist groups allegedly consider their primary enemy.

Rubio further warned that extremist organisations are willing to use any means — including terrorism, assassinations, and other forms of violence — to pursue influence and domination over different cultures and societies.

“These groups have openly declared their ambitions toward the West — the United States, Europe — and we’ve seen their advances,” he said. “They are prepared to commit acts of terrorism, and in cases like Iran, even state-sponsored assassinations and killings.”

Rubio also announced a new visa restriction policy targeting individuals involved in religious persecution, particularly attacks on Christians in Nigeria.

In a post on X, he wrote: “The United States is taking decisive action in response to atrocities and violence against Christians in Nigeria and around the world. The State Department will restrict US visas for anyone who knowingly directs, authorises, funds, supports, or commits violations of religious freedom. This policy applies to Nigeria and to any other government or individual engaged in such persecution.”

Rubio’s remarks follow recent comments by US President Donald Trump, who suggested that Washington might consider military action against Nigeria, alleging that Christians are being systematically targeted.

His comments have drawn strong backing from right-wing and evangelical Christian groups in the US.

On Friday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said he had met with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to discuss what he described as the “horrific violence” faced by Christians in the country.

Nigeria has been grappling with Islamist insurgencies for more than 15 years, led by groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Concentrated mainly in the northeast, the conflict has killed thousands and displaced millions, Reuters reports.