US secretary of state Marco Rubio said additional pressure could be imposed on Iran if no deal is reached, stressing that the final decision rests with US President Donald Trump.
“That’s POTUS’ decision to make… the level of sanctions on Iran is extraordinary, the level of pressure on Iran is extraordinary, and I think more can be brought to bear,” said Rubio in an interview with Fox News.
Little progress has been made since a fragile ceasefire took effect in early April. Talks in Islamabad yielded no breakthrough, and speculation about a second round of direct negotiations faded after Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan before a US delegation arrived.
Iran has reportedly submitted a new proposal that defers discussion of its nuclear programme until the war ends and disputes over Gulf shipping are resolved. However, Reuters reported that Trump is unhappy with the offer, as Washington insists nuclear issues must remain central to any agreement.
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The US has increased pressure through measures such as blocking Iranian shipping, while Tehran has tied reopening the Strait of Hormuz to progress in talks.
Rubio said, “If Iran was just a radical country run by radical people, there would still be problems, but they are revolutionary. They seek to expand their revolution. That is why they support Hezbollah and Hamas. They want to dominate the region.”
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Rubio said that Iran blocked the Hormuz, using the choking of the Strait as an economic nuclear weapon to stop the energy flow to the world. He added, “The Strait is basically the equivalent of an economic nuclear weapon they are trying to use against the world, and they are bragging about it… imagine if those same people had access to a nuclear weapon—they would hold the whole region hostage.”
On US measures, Rubio said, “The blockade is not against shipping broadly; it’s against Iranian shipping, because they cannot be the sole beneficiaries of an illegal, unlawful, and unjustified system of control in the strait.”
He also raised concerns about Iran’s leadership, especially over Mojtaba Khamenei, who US feels might not be the leader who is making the big calls. Rubio said, “There are many unanswered questions… Does he (Mojtaba) have the clerical credentials to act as supreme leader? Is he actually making the decisions, or is someone else acting in his stead?”
