Rubio says Iran ‘serious’ about deal, sets nuclear condition
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran appears “serious” about reaching an agreement with Washington but stressed any deal must prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
“I think they are serious about getting themselves out of the mess that they’re in,” he said in an interview, pointing to Iran’s worsening economic conditions.
Rubio said sanctions, inflation and financial strain have intensified, adding: “All the problems that Iran had before the start of this conflict are still in place, and most of them are worse.”
“We have to ensure that any deal that is made… definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point,” he added.
Talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad on April 11 failed to produce an agreement, following a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire that began on April 8 and was later extended.