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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday (local time) said negotiations with Iran are currently focused on two key objectives, the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to ensure safe maritime navigation, and the longer-term goal of the complete denuclearisation of Iran.
Speaking about the ongoing diplomatic engagement, Rubio said progress had been made in discussions mediated by Oman, although no final agreement had been reached. "There are two things to talk about when there is a deal... They can never have a nuclear weapon, and the President has been clear about that. So the denuclearisation of Iran is the ultimate deal. The immediate deal, or one that there is a lot of focus on, is the Strait," Rubio said. "A conversation and a negotiation that we are involved in between Oman and Iran about how more ships can be able to go through there safely in the short term as we move towards these longer-term talks about denuclearisation. And suffice it to say there's been progress made in those talks, but not finality yet. We are hoping that will happen very shortly," he added. Rubio's remarks come amid growing diplomatic activity involving Washington, Tehran and Oman aimed at reducing tensions in West Asia and securing navigation through the strategically significant Strait of Hormuz. Earlier on Tuesday, Qatar said efforts to resolve the standoff between the United States and Iran had entered "very progressive stages", with drafts of a potential agreement already being circulated, according to CNN. Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said diplomatic efforts were continuing despite conflicting public statements from Washington and Tehran. "We can confirm that the efforts are still ongoing with all the parties. We are looking towards a diplomatic resolution as we are speaking right now," al-Ansari said during his weekly press briefing, according to CNN. According to Al Jazeera, Ansari reiterated Qatar's support for Oman's mediation efforts and expressed hope that an agreement could be reached in the coming hours or days. He also noted that while no direct talks were taking place, mediators remained in contact and draft proposals continued to be exchanged. The diplomatic optimism follows remarks by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who earlier indicated that an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be reached "today or tomorrow." He told CNBC that talks with Iran had gained momentum after US President Donald Trump's recent warnings of possible military action. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday said Tehran was not seeking to escalate tensions in the region but stressed that Iran would firmly defend its sovereignty, even as diplomatic efforts to ease the crisis continue. (ANI)
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