US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Tehran's new diplomatic offer is 'better than we thought,' but stresses that preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon is paramount. A new framework delaying nuclear talks is reportedly under US review.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has observed that the latest diplomatic submission from Tehran "is better than what we thought they were going to submit," though he maintained that any prospective agreement must resolutely prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
According to a report by CNN, the newly proposed framework suggests a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz while delaying substantive deliberations on the nuclear issue. Sources familiar with the matter indicated that this phased approach is currently under review by American officials.
Nuclear Program the 'Core Issue'
During a conversation with Fox News on Monday, the top US diplomat refrained from predicting whether this specific overture would find favour with President Donald Trump. Rubio declined to speculate on the potential fallout should an agreement fail to materialise, choosing instead to defer the final judgement to the president. "Suffice it to say that the nuclear question is the reason why we're in this in the first place," Rubio stated, according to a transcript provided by the State Department. He further emphasised that the Iranian nuclear programme "remains the core issue" at the heart of the ongoing regional hostilities.
The Secretary of State suggested that the leadership in Tehran is "serious about figuring out how they can buy themselves more time." Speaking to Fox News, he cautioned that the international community is dealing with "very experienced negotiators," necessitating a deal that "definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point."
Tehran's Internal Politics Raise Doubts
Internal dynamics within the Iranian regime also appear to be complicating the diplomatic process. Rubio pointed out that "there are still questions about whether the person submitting it had the authority to submit that offer ... and what it means." He further explained that American representatives are facing a layered challenge, noting that "one of the impediments here is that our negotiators aren't just negotiating with Iranians." These officials must then engage in internal domestic bargaining "in order to figure out what they can agree to, what they can offer, what they're willing to do, even who they're willing to meet with."
Addressing rumours regarding the Iranian leadership, Rubio mentioned that the US has evidence suggesting Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is still alive. However, he raised significant doubts over whether the figurehead possesses "the clerical credentials to actually act as supreme leader," casting further uncertainty on the regime's ultimate decision-making hierarchy.
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