WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran of issuing “outrageous and ridiculous” demands, casting doubt on the chances of a breakthrough any time soon.
“I wouldn’t say we’re on the verge of a breakthrough,” Rubio bluntly told reporters on Sunday.
“The President would always prefer to solve this and every problem diplomatically. Sometimes that’s not possible, unfortunately.”
“Right now it hasn’t been very productive, because the Iranian demands are simply not just unacceptable but, in some cases, outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic.”
Rubio didn’t elaborate on what has been so outrageous about Iran’s demands.
Iran previously said the US had to meet it seven demands, which include lifting the Navy blockade and paying reparations, before it will reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio’s comments about the negotiations struck a different tone from President Trump’s assessment to CNN on Sunday.
Trump said he didn’t believe new military campaign would be necessary so long as negotiations remained productive.
“It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement,” Trump told CNN in an interview published Sunday. “The answer is highly unlikely it’s going to be necessary. They’re a failing nation.”
The president was widely reported to be contemplating a resumption of strikes on Iran after the midterm elections.
The two sides have continued to negotiate through mediators, led by Qatar. President Trump is set to meet with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani Monday in the White House.
The remarks from America’s top diplomat came on the heels of reports that the US struck Iranian assets, including missile launchers and defenses on Qeshm Island in the beleaguered Strait of Hormuz.
“If there’s a clear and present threat to shipping or to our forces in the region, we have a right to defend ourselves,” Rubio stressed.
Meanwhile, US Central Command announced on Saturday the formation of a 20-member team to ramp up the blockade against Iranian ports and vessels, something Trump appeared to call Task Force Iron Gate.
“Task Force Iron Gate is in full force and effect in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Coupled with history’s greatest Naval Blockade, very little gets into, or out of, Iran!” Trump declared on Truth Social.
Iranian hardliners had cheered the Democrats’ blue tsunami in the midterm elections, attributing it to a political consequence for the war in Iran.
After the electoral shellacking, Vice President JD Vance blamed the massive defeat on backlash over the war.
“A lot of people didn’t like his comments, but not me,” Trump remarked to reporters late Sunday about Vance’s remarks.
“He was right. Other than one thing. He should have made one other statement, which I think is very important. If you had it to do again, would you do it again? The answer is yes,” Trump said.
Rubio has defended Trump’s decision to take military action against Iran.
“It would have been very easy to do what multiple presidents before him have done, which is ignore the Iran thing, leave it for the next guy,” Rubio said at Mar-a-Lago late last week.
“We had president after president ignore it and allow it to linger, but this president wasn’t elected to ignore it, and he wasn’t elected to allow threats to linger.”
