Akshay DidwaniyaUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated bluntly while speaking to reporters in New Delhi that Washington will either lock in a solid deal with Tehran or pursue entirely different measures to resolve the ongoing conflict.
US-Iran Talks Reach a Tipping Point, Rubio Issues a Sharp Warning
Washington and Tehran are running out of time. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spelled it out plainly America is either getting a good deal with Iran, or it will take a different path entirely.
“We will either reach a good deal, or we will have to resolve this another way,” Rubio told reporters in New Delhi.
Also Read | Rubio Hints at “Good News” Coming for Strait of Hormuz Within Hours
Framework Deal Said to Be 95% Complete But Key Issues Remain
Behind closed diplomatic doors, progress is reportedly being made. Fox News reported that a framework agreement between the US and Iran is almost done roughly 95% complete. However, negotiators are still locked in a dispute over specific language. The sticking points involve the status of the Strait of Hormuz and the size of Tehran’s remaining nuclear material stockpile two issues neither side seems ready to blink on.
Also Read | Iran–US Deal Needs Sign-Off From Supreme Leader Khamenei, Security Council
How the Conflict Began and Where It Stands Now
The roots of this standoff go back to February 28 the day US and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes against targets inside Iran. The military campaign claimed more than 3,000 lives. By April 8, both Washington and Tehran announced a two-week ceasefire. Talks then moved to Islamabad but those negotiations ended without any breakthrough. Since then, no new fighting has been reported. Yet the US has quietly moved to tighten the screws imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports, adding fresh economic and strategic pressure on Tehran.
Also Read | Iran-US Preliminary Deal Could Be Named the “Islamabad Declaration,” Sources Say
Rubio Already Pointing Fingers Even Before Talks Conclude
Rubio’s comments in New Delhi came just hours after he had already begun assigning blame preemptively pointing to Iran as the likely reason any deal might collapse. The move signals growing frustration in Washington and raises serious questions about how much longer diplomatic channels can hold.
The BRICS Times
Pratik Agrawal
Aditya Didwaniya
Mayur Mohta
