MANILA /Philippines/, July 23. /TASS/. The United States has never sought a regime change in Iran in the course of its operation against the Islamic Republic, with its main goal being to prevent Tehran from having a nuclear weapon, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

"The United States is seeking to denuclearize Iran so they never have a nuclear weapon," the top US diplomat said at a news conference on the sidelines of ministerial meetings hosted by ASEAN, when asked if Washington is seeking a regime change in Iran.

"We’ve never said that a regime change was our goal," he added as he emphasized that the US military was focused on destroying Iran’s military capabilities.