Rubio says US sees progress toward Iran agreement
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump prefers a negotiated diplomatic path with Iran and that talks have made some progress, but warned Washington has other options if diplomacy fails.
“The bottom line is Iran is never going to have a nuclear weapon,” Rubio said at a White House Cabinet meeting, adding that recent events had reinforced Washington’s view that Tehran should never be allowed to obtain one.
Rubio said Trump had repeatedly made clear that negotiations were his preferred route.
“Diplomacy is always the first option,” he said, adding that US envoys, including Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Vice President JD Vance, had been involved in the effort.
“If there’s an agreement to be made, we want that to be made,” Rubio said.
He said there had been “some progress and some interest” in the talks, adding that Washington would see “over the next few hours and days” whether further progress could be made.
Rubio said the United States would give diplomacy “every chance to succeed,” but added that Trump had other options available if negotiations failed.
His comments came as the White House rejected an Iranian state TV report on a draft deal as a “complete fabrication,” while also saying Trump’s red line remained ensuring Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.
