Rubio warns US will seek 'another way' if Iran deal fails

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiations between the US and Iran remain ongoing, describing a possible agreement as a “work in progress” while stressing that US President Donald Trump will not rush into a deal.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to India, Rubio said there was “a pretty solid” proposal on the table regarding Iran’s willingness to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin negotiations over its nuclear programme.

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“And hopefully, we can pull it off. It has a lot of support in the Gulf. It has a lot of support globally,” Rubio said.

“Every country that we’ve walked through it understands it’s not just very reasonable, but it’s the right thing for the world to get done.”

Rubio said the delay was due to Iran’s response process: “You’ve got to hear back, and it takes the Iranian system a little while longer to get back,” he told reporters.

He also reiterated that Trump would not accept an unfavourable agreement.

“The president is not going to make a bad agreement, so let’s see what happens. We’re going to give diplomacy every chance to succeed before we explore the alternatives.”

“We’re either going to have a good agreement, or we’re going to have to deal with it another way. We’d prefer to have a good agreement”, he added.

He also said the United States was handling the situation in Lebanon separately, blaming Hezbollah for regional instability.