US Open to Serious Iran Nuclear Talks if Strait of Hormuz is Reopened: Marco Rubio

Washington, May 2026 : US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the United States is prepared to enter “very serious talks” with Iran over its nuclear programme if Tehran agrees to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to a media report.

Rubio’s remarks indicate that Washington may be considering a phased diplomatic approach, potentially starting with an interim arrangement focused on maritime access and regional stability before addressing Iran’s nuclear capabilities in full detail.

According to a report by Xinhua citing the New York Times, such an approach would mean the US could accept an initial agreement that does not immediately resolve the nuclear dispute, but instead creates conditions for broader negotiations later.

In a brief interview during his visit to New Delhi, Rubio emphasized the complexity of nuclear negotiations, saying a comprehensive agreement cannot be reached quickly.

“You can’t do a nuclear thing in 72 hours on the back of a napkin,” Rubio said, underlining that technical discussions require time and detailed verification mechanisms.

He added that reopening the Strait of Hormuz would be the first critical step. “The straits have to be immediately reopened, and then we will enter, under agreed-to parameters, into very serious talks about enrichment, about the highly enriched uranium and about their pledge to never have nuclear weapons,” he said.

Rubio further clarified that while negotiations could not stretch over years, they would still require careful technical work to ensure enforceability and compliance.

“It can’t take years, but it’ll take some time to work through those technical matters,” he noted.

The US Secretary of State also hinted that the Trump administration may not wait indefinitely for progress. He suggested that if negotiations fail to produce results within a defined timeframe, the US could reassess its options, including military threats.

“Ultimately, the approach has to deliver what we want it to deliver,” Rubio said. “If it doesn’t, then the president has every option available to him in 60 days that he has available to him now.”

While neither Washington nor Tehran has publicly disclosed full details of the ongoing negotiations, reports suggest that internal discussions remain active. However, critics have warned that a phased agreement could weaken US leverage in later stages of talks.

Rubio reiterated President Donald Trump’s firm position that Iran must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons under any circumstances. He stressed that preventing Iran from developing such capability remains the central objective of US policy.

He also indicated that the US and its Gulf allies are working on a broader regional framework that could eventually ensure unrestricted maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz without tolls, provided Iran agrees to full compliance with the proposed terms.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)