US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told Congress that Iran has agreed to discuss aspects of its nuclear programme it had previously refused to negotiate, even as Tehran announced it was suspending peace talks and moving to fully close the Strait of Hormuz.
Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, Rubio repeated the Trump administration’s assertion that a deal was within reach. His comments came a day after Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that Tehran would stop exchanging messages with Washington via intermediaries, citing Israeli operations in Lebanon as a ceasefire violation. President Donald Trump later claimed conversations were continuing, insisting reports of a halt were false.
Rubio outlined a two-phase framework for negotiations, stating that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was a precondition for any talks. Phase two would require Iran to dispose of its highly enriched uranium stockpile and accept severe limits on enrichment activities. He ruled out sanctions relief for simply reopening the waterway, saying any relief would be conditional on progress over the nuclear programme.
On the military front, Rubio claimed Iran’s missile capability had been ‘substantially degraded’, its navy destroyed, and its drone production eroded, though he conceded Iran still had many drones. The New York Times reported in May that Iran retained about 70% of its prewar missile stockpile, but analysts noted damage to Iran’s ability to replace weaponry was significant.
Rubio also insisted that Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as Supreme Leader after the February strikes, was alive and increasingly engaged with the regime’s efforts. He added that the US blockade was costing Tehran hundreds of millions of dollars in lost oil revenue each day.
