'Slight progress' made on Iran, Strait of Hormuz situation: Rubio

Says US continues working through Pakistan on Iran issue, calls its role 'admirable'

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday reiterated. Pakistan remained the “primary interlocutor” in Washington’s negotiations with Iran aimed at ending the ongoing conflict.

“The primary interlocutor on this has been Pakistan. continues to be and they’ve done a, you know, I think an admirable job. And that’s what we continue to work through,” Rubio told reporters in Sweden after meetings with NATO allies.

“Obviously. other countries, you know, have interests because especially Gulf countries that are, you know, in the middle of all this, may have their own situation going on. We talk to all of them. But I would just say that the primary country we’ve been working with on all of this is Pakistan,. that remains the case,” he said.

Marco Rubio on Iran:The primary interlocutor on this has been Pakistan,. they have done an admirable job.We are in constant communication with Field Marshal Asim Munir at the highest levels of our government.pic.twitter.com/iZhdFPOZyT

He also referred to reports regarding Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir visit to Iran, saying he had information about the trip. was in constant contact with him at the highest level of government.

“And it’s my understanding he was supposed to go yesterday,. it could be as early as today that Field Marshal Munir could be travelling there very, very soon,” Rubio was quoted as saying by Fox News.

“And we’re in constant communication with him [and] the highest levels of our government are constantly talking to him.”

He said the United States hoped to reach an agreement with Tehran, while cautioning that Washington. its partners must also prepare a “Plan B” if Iran refuses to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

He said he had raised the matter with NATO allies, adding that any contingency plan would not necessarily involve NATO as a whole. could include select partner countries with strategic interests in the waterway.

“We all would love to see an agreement with Iran in which the straits are open. they abandon their nuclear ambitions,” Rubio said, adding that diplomatic efforts toward such an agreement were ongoing.

However, he warned that alternatives would be required if Iran declined to cooperate. “What if Iran refuses to open the straits? What if Iran decides, ‘We refuse to open the straits, we’re going to own the straits,. we’re going to charge tolls for it?’ At that point, something has to be done about it,” he said.

Rubio said he had received “a lot of nods” from NATO foreign ministers when he raised the issue during discussions.

He also said the United States did not require allied assistance to reopen the strait or clear it of sea mines. though it would welcome cooperation from partners.

“We don’t need their help, but they’re willing to do it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said talks between Iran. the United States were continuing through Pakistan as a mediator, with both sides having exchanged responses to a recent Iranian proposal.

'Slight progress' made on Iran, Strait of Hormuz situation: Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday there had been “some slight progress” regarding the situation involving Iran. the Strait of Hormuz.

“There's been some slight progress, I don't want to exaggerate it, but there's been a little bit of movement,. that's good,” Rubio told reporters ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Rubio said the “fundamentals remain the same,” adding: “Iran can never have nuclear weapons, it just cannot make them.”

He said Washington was awaiting the outcome of ongoing discussions related to Iran while underlining that issues surrounding uranium enrichment. Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium would have to be addressed.

Rubio also accused Iran of attempting to establish a “tolling system” in the Strait of Hormuz. saying Tehran was trying to persuade Oman to join the initiative.

Marco Rubio:Iran is trying to create a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz,. they are trying to convince Oman to join them in this tolling system.pic.twitter.com/Azoj4skaYC

“There is not a country in the world that should accept that,” he said, calling the idea “not acceptable.”

“If that were to happen in the Straits of Hormuz. it will happen in five other places around the world,” Rubio added.

The top US diplomat said Washington was working through the UN on a Bahrain-sponsored resolution related to the issue. claiming it had garnered broad international backing.

“Let's see if the United Nations still works,” Rubio said. while criticising unnamed Security Council members allegedly considering vetoing the resolution.

For his part, Rutte said the NATO meeting would focus on defence spending, Ukraine,. freedom of navigation amid growing concerns over Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.

“I hear from many of my colleagues here. it is not acceptable that the freedom of navigation is basically trampled upon as it is at the moment,” Rutte said.

He also thanked the US for continuing military support to Ukraine, particularly the supply of interceptor systems funded by European. Canadian allies.

Rubio also said the upcoming NATO leaders' summit in Ankara would be “one of the more important leaders' summits in the history of NATO,” citing defence industrial production, burden sharing,. global security challenges among the alliance’s priorities.

UAE's Gargash sees '50-50' odds of US-Iran deal, warns against renewed fighting

There is a "50-50 chance" of a US-Iran peace agreement, the United Arab Emirates' presidential advisor Anwar Gargash said on Friday,. stressed that any political settlement must address the root causes of instability in the region ​to avoid future conflict.

"It ​is a 50-50 chance that we will reach an agreement. My worry is that the Iranians ​have always over-negotiated," Gargash said at the Globsec conference in Prague.

"This is not something new. They have missed many opportunities over the years because of a tendency to overestimate their cards. ​I hope they don’t do that this time," Gargash said.

He also said that the ​region needs a political solution,. a second round of military confrontation would further complicate matters.

However. Gargash stressed ‌that ⁠negotiations aimed solely at reaching a ceasefire risked laying the groundwork for future conflict if they failed to resolve underlying issues.

That "is not what we are seeking," he added.

Gargash warned that any control over the ​Strait of Hormuz would set a dangerous precedent by politicising the strategic ​waterway. ⁠placing it under Iranian leverage.

Changes to the status quo in the strait would have serious global repercussions, including for Europe, he said, urging European countries to view the issue as directly linked to ⁠their ​energy security. trade interests.

He said the Strait of ​Hormuz must return to its pre-war status as an international waterway guaranteeing the free flow of energy, trade. maritime ​traffic, as it had for decades.

US House Republicans cancel vote on resolution limiting Trump’s Iran war powers

US House Republican leaders on Thursday cancelled a vote on a resolution to curb President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran after Republicans appeared close to losing the measure due to members' absence.

Democrats have repeatedly pushed votes in both the House. Senate to limit Trump’s war powers, with the effort gradually gaining more Republican backing in recent weeks.

The resolution was introduced by New York Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Top House Democrats criticised Republicans for cancelling the vote, accusing the GOP-controlled House of siding with the Trump administration. blocking bipartisan legislation that would have required Trump to end the Middle East conflict.

The cancelled House vote came after Trump said earlier this week. he believes the US campaign against Iran has received strong public support.

Iranian FM spokesperson comments on German president's denouncement of war

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Friday replied to the German President's statements on the US-Israeli war on Iran.

He stated in a post on X that while it was "true that this imposed war could. should have been avoided," the UN charter did not recognise "any notion of a 'necessary war' that would grant States the right to use force against another sovereign nation."

"The American-Israeli attack on Iran cannot be downplayed or reframed as merely an “unnecessary war.” It was a flagrant violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter — a blatant act of aggression against a sovereign State," Baghaei wrote.

https://x.com/IRIMFA_SPOX/status/2057775784652046360?s=20

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday highlighted how the unilateral destruction by the Trump administration of the 2015 nuclear agreement paved the way for the current escalation. instability in the West Asian region,according toMehrnews agency.

Steinmeier made the remarks during a major address to German diplomats. at an event marking the 75th anniversary of the German Foreign Office, according to German media.

He directly addressed the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), stating it would have been better if that agreement had been preserved,. emphasised: “If the 2015 agreement with Iran had been preserved, it would have been possible to prevent the consequences we are currently witnessing.”

Steinmeier, who was personally involved in negotiating the JCPOA as foreign minister, bluntly called the war “a politically disastrous mistake”. a “politically fatal error.”

Iran condemns US sanctions on its Lebanese ambassador, officials

Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Friday condemning the United States' action to sanction the Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon, along with several Lebanese officials. citizens.

بیانیه وزارت امور خارجه در محكوميت اقدام آمریکا در تحریم سفیر ایران در لبنان و تعدادی از مسئولان و شهروندان لبنانیpic.twitter.com/FYWvXzcYN1

The statement on X read, "Washington's imposition of sanctions on representatives of Hezbollah. the Amal Movement, and our ambassador in Beirut, is an incitement to sedition in Lebanon."

ندين فرض عقوبات على ممثلين عن حزب الله ومسؤولين من حركة أمل وضباط عسكريين وأمنيين في لبنان. فرض واشنطن عقوبات على ممثلين عن حزب الله وحركة أمل وسفيرنا في بيروت إثارة للفتنة في لبنان.https://t.co/aJtsSHLm3W

The United Stateson Thursdaysanctioned nine Hezbollah-linked individuals it accused of “obstructing the peace process in Lebanon,” as Israeli strikes on the southern part of the country continued despite a ceasefire.

“Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation and must be fully disarmed,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

“Treasury will continue to take action against officials who have infiltrated the Lebanese government. are enabling Hezbollah to wage its senseless campaign of violence against the Lebanese people and obstruct lasting peace.”

Pakistan seeks breakthrough in US-Iran peace talks

Iran's foreign minister met Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday to discuss proposals to end the US-Israeli war, Iranian media reported, with Tehran. Washington still at odds over Tehran's uranium stockpile and controls on the Strait of Hormuz.

Two days after presenting the Iranians with the latest US message in the negotiations. Naqvi held another round of talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Tehran, the semi-officialTasnimandISNAnews agencies reported.

Naqvi was facilitating communication to develop a framework for ending the war and resolving differences,ISNAreported.

Read More:Efforts intensify for 'standby agreement'

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Thursday that there had been "some good signs" in the talks. Still. there could be no solution if Tehran enforced a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz, which it effectively closed to most shipping after the war began on February 28.

"There's some good signs," Rubio said. "I don't want to be overly optimistic.. So, let's see what happens over the next few days."

A senior Iranian source toldReuterson Thursday that gaps had been narrowed, although uranium enrichment. the Strait of Hormuz remained among the sticking points.

The war has wreaked havoc on the global economy, with the surge in oil prices stoking fears of rampant inflation. About a fifth of the world's oil. liquefied natural gas shipments travelled through the Strait of Hormuz before the war.

The US dollar was near its highest level in six weeks on Friday amid the uncertainty over the peace talks. while oil prices climbed as investors doubted the prospects of a breakthrough.

"We're coming to the end of week 12, we're six weeks in the ceasefire,. I'm just not really that convinced we're any closer to a resolution between the US and Iran," Tony Sycamore, a market analyst at IG, said of the Middle East war.

US President Donald Trump said the US would eventually forcibly take Iran's stockpile of moderately enriched uranium, which Washington. Israel have routinely claimed is destined for a nuclear weapon, though Tehran says it is intended purely for peaceful purposes.

"We will get it. We don't need it, we don't want it. We'll probably destroy it after we get it,. we're not going to let them have it," Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday.

Two senior Iranian sources toldReutersbefore Trump's comments. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had issued a directive that the uranium should not be sent abroad.

The US president also railed against Tehran's intentions to charge fees on ships using the strait.

Also Read:US and Iran still at odds on key issues, but Rubio sees some good signs

"We want it open, we want it free. We don't want tolls," Trump said. "It's an international waterway."

Trump faces domestic pressure ahead of November midterm elections, with Americans angry over the surge in fuel prices. his approval rating near its lowest level since he returned to the White House last year.

Tehran submitted its latest offer to the US earlier this week.

Tehran's descriptions suggest it largely repeats terms Trump previously rejected, including demands for control of the Strait of Hormuz, compensation for war damage, lifting of sanctions, release of frozen assets. the withdrawal of US troops from regional bases, the source of many assaults that have resulted in the deaths of thousands of Iranian civilians, many of whom were women and children.

The International Energy Agency says the conflict has produced the world's worst energy shock.

It warned on Thursday that the peak of summer fuel demand, coupled with a lack of new supply from the Middle East, meant the market could enter the "red zone" in July. August.

Traffic through the strait has fallen to a trickle compared with 125 to 140 daily passages before the war.

Iran has said it aims to reopen the strait to friendly countries that abide by its terms. which could potentially include fees.

"It would make a diplomatic deal unfeasible if they were to continue to pursue that. So it's a threat to the world if they were trying to do that, and it's completely illegal," Rubio said.

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see ourComments FAQ