Rubio says US-Iran diplomacy makes little progress

Washington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday (local time) that diplomatic efforts to end the US-Iran conflict have made little progress, calling Iran’s demands “unacceptable.”

“Right now, it hasn’t been very productive because the Iranian demands are simply not just unacceptable, but in some cases … really not realistic,” Rubio told reporters in Florida before departing for France to attend a Group of Seven (G7) Foreign Ministers’ meeting, Xinhua News Agency reported.

“I wouldn’t say we’re at the verge of a breakthrough,” said Rubio, reiterating that the Trump administration preferred a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

In an interview earlier on Sunday, US President Donald Trump told CNN that it is “highly unlikely” for the United States to resume large-scale military strikes against Iran as long as negotiations make progress. He did not rule out the possibility of further military action.

The US Central Command announced on Saturday the formation of Task Force Iron Gate, a unit of about 20 military and civilian personnel tasked with coordinating efforts across US government agencies to disrupt the movement of advanced weapons and other materials across Iran’s land borders and other routes.

Trump said on social media on Sunday that the task force was “in full force and effect” in Iran, and that, combined with the U.S. naval blockade, “very little gets into, or out of, Iran.”

Trump said that renewed military strikes on Iran were “highly unlikely” as long as negotiations made progress, but did not rule out further military actions.

In a phone interview with CNN, Trump claimed on Sunday that the United States had already dealt a severe blow to Iran and that further military action was “highly unlikely” to be necessary.

“It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement,” Trump noted, referring to Iran’s nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The president also claimed that the United States had identified potential infrastructure targets in Iran, including power plants and bridges, and could destroy 38 bridges in an hour.

“Most likely it will not be necessary,” Trump reiterated. “They want to make a deal so badly.”

Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News, Technology, Entertainment, Sports, Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS.