Newsletters
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that “some progress” had been made in mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran, as the U.S. and Iran continue talks through Islamabad on the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi after talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rubio said there could be developments soon.
“There has been some progress done,” Rubio said. “There is a chance that maybe later today, tomorrow, maybe couple of days, we may have something to say, but this issue needs to be solved one way or another.”
Reuters also quoted Rubio as saying that “some work” was still being done in the talks.
Rubio said Washington was focused on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and on reopening the Strait of Hormuz without tolls.
“Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. The strait needs to be open without tolls,” Rubio said.
“They need to turn over their highly enriched uranium. We need to address that issue. We need to address the issue of enrichment,” he added.
Rubio said the U.S. hoped the issue would be resolved through diplomacy.
“That’s what we’re working on right now, but this problem will be solved one way or the other. We hope it’s done through the diplomatic route,” he said.
The U.S. and Iran have been negotiating through Islamabad over proposals and counterproposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, address concerns over Tehran’s nuclear program and discuss Iran’s demand for sanctions relief.
1 min read
Rubio also discussed the Middle East during his meeting with Modi, according to a statement by U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
The statement said Rubio told Modi that the U.S. “will not let Iran hold the global energy market hostage” and said U.S. energy products could help diversify India’s energy supply.
India has resumed oil purchases from Iran this year after a seven-year pause following the U.S. move to lift sanctions on Tehran’s oil exports amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted energy supplies around the world.
Rubio met Modi in New Delhi and underlined the strategic importance of the U.S.-India partnership, according to the State Department statement.
On behalf of U.S. President Donald Trump, Rubio extended an invitation to Modi to visit the White House.
The two officials also agreed to deepen trade and defense cooperation and accelerate collaboration on critical and emerging technologies.
They also discussed recent bilateral achievements, including investments linked to Trump and Modi’s “Mission 500” goal to double trade by 2030.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
