Secretary of State says Strait of Hormuz reopening required before further Iran talks

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is required before any further diplomacy with Iran can proceed. Rubio said an interim deal could be reached today, tomorrow or next week, but added there is no guarantee the final terms would satisfy the Senate or the American people.

He noted that failure to reach an agreement would leave the nuclear issue unresolved.

Ceasefire and missile exchanges The two sides have continued exchanging fire despite a nominal truce in place since mid-April. Iran fired two ballistic missiles at Kuwait early Monday in response to U.S. strikes on the coastal city of Goruk and on Qeshm Island the previous day.

On Monday, Iran suspended talks with the United States over Israel’s planned strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut, according to state media and an Iranian official who spoke with Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.

Proposed 60-day extension Negotiators are finalizing a memorandum of understanding that would extend the current ceasefire by 60 days. Under the preliminary terms, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the United States would facilitate the release of frozen Iranian assets, and both sides would begin talks on Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief.

Rubio said any easing of sanctions would require Iran to eliminate uranium enrichment and dismantle its stockpile of enriched uranium. He stated that the more concessions Iran makes, the more relief it could receive, but added that Tehran would not receive a down payment.