Trump Still Open to Iran Deal to End War, Rubio Says
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — WEB DESK: US President Donald Trump remains open to reaching an agreement with Iran aimed at ending the ongoing conflict, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, as Washington and Tehran continue diplomatic contacts alongside the UN General Assembly in New York.
Rubio has said Washington remains prepared for dialogue if talks can produce meaningful results, while stressing that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains a central US objective. On Tuesday, he said the United States was open to meeting Iranian representatives at the UN, although no meeting had been scheduled at that point.
Diplomatic activity has since intensified. Iran has indicated that it remains open to negotiations aimed at ending the war, while reviewing Washington’s response to proposals transmitted during recent contacts. However, Reuters reported Thursday that the two countries remain far apart on the terms of a settlement.
The Strait of Hormuz is among the central issues.
Iran has offered to reopen the strategically important waterway if the United States eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, according to a senior Iranian official. Tehran’s delegation in New York has been given authority to pursue diplomatic negotiations.
Iran has also presented demands involving frozen assets and an end to hostilities on multiple fronts, according to Iranian accounts carried by Express Urdu.
Washington, however, has maintained that any settlement must address US concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme and the security of international shipping.
The competing demands underline the gap that remains despite renewed diplomatic activity.
Trump has publicly combined offers of negotiation with intense pressure on Tehran. During his UN General Assembly address this week, the US president again pressed Iran to reach an agreement while using highly threatening language about the consequences of failing to do so.
Because those threats and negotiating positions remain contested political statements, they do not by themselves indicate that either side has agreed on a framework for ending the conflict.
Iranian officials have likewise maintained firm conditions. Tehran says any sustainable settlement must address US military pressure and restrictions affecting Iranian ports and shipping.
The diplomatic push comes after months of conflict that have disrupted regional security and global energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz has become particularly important because disruptions there have affected international oil flows and contributed to sharp volatility in crude prices. Earlier this month, escalating US-Iran attacks on shipping helped push Brent crude above $100 a barrel.
On Thursday, however, oil prices moved lower as markets reacted to Iran’s renewed signal that diplomacy remained possible. Brent crude traded around $102 a barrel, while Reuters said Tehran was reviewing Washington’s latest response to its proposals.
The diplomatic process remains fluid. The United States has signalled willingness to negotiate, and Iran has indicated that it remains open to diplomacy, but fundamental disagreements over nuclear restrictions, sanctions, maritime security and the terms for ending hostilities have yet to be resolved.
For now, Rubio’s remarks indicate that Washington has not closed the door on an agreement, rather than confirming that a peace deal is imminent.
