Iran Supreme Leader Increasingly Engaged in Nuclear Talks, Rubio Says

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers Tuesday that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is increasingly engaged in negotiations between the two countries. He said all of Khamenei’s communications have been in writing and through intermediaries.

Rubio said it takes days to receive responses from Iran on proposed agreement conditions. He added that Iran has agreed to negotiate aspects of its nuclear program that it refused to mention a month or a year earlier. Reports indicate Iran withdrew from talks to extend the current ceasefire after accusing the U.S. of violating the agreement due to Israel’s offensive campaign in Lebanon.

The Trump administration has sought concessions on Iran’s enriched uranium and maintains that Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon. Rubio noted there is no guarantee the talks will produce an acceptable deal. International leaders have urged both sides to reach an agreement soon to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and support global market stability.