Jerusalem, Feb. 16 -- As United States exerts maximum pressure on Iran, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday blamed the country for "instability, violence and destabilising" activities in the Middle East.

In a joint press briefing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Rubio said that Iran is behind everything that threatens peace and stability in the region.

"It (Iran) is the single greatest source of instability in the region, behind every terrorist group, behind every act of violence, behind every destabilising activity, behind everything that threatens peace and stability for the billions of people who call this region home. By Iran, I mean its regime, a regime that its people do not support. The people of Iran are v...