Dems: Trump 'stupid and reckless' in joining Israel in war

Rubio says Iran opening up on nuclear issue, as Trump insists talks ‘continuous’

Secretary of state tells Congress Iran must fully reopen Hormuz, sanctions relief will be contingent on nuclear concessions, also reports that Khamenei appears more involved in process

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers on Tuesday that Iran has signaled a willingness to negotiate elements of its nuclear program that weren’t previously on the table, as US President Donald Trump denied talks had been cut off.

“They have agreed to negotiate aspects of their nuclear program that just a month ago, just a year ago, they were refusing to even mention,” Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, without elaborating.

He added that it’s “not a guarantee that ultimately it will lead to a deal that’s acceptable” and that these negotiations have been made difficult by the instability of Iran’s leadership.

But, he said, “There is the prospect before us, which could happen today, it could happen tomorrow, it could happen next week.”

Rubio also insisted that any sanctions relief would depend on Iran making concessions on its nuclear program.

“Right now, everything that’s been discussed with them is that … any sanctions relief is condition-based, which means it has to be in return for the reason why those sanctions were put in place in the first place, which is their nuclear program,” he told lawmakers.

He also said that Tehran must agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping channel for Gulf oil and gas.

“They have to announce very clearly ‘The straits are now open, we’re not charging a toll.’ We will help remove the mines that they put in there, and they will not fire on ships,” he said.

“The more they give, the more they would get,” he said of relief, later adding, “They’re not going to get it as a signing bonus.”

Additionally, Rubio reported there were indications that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who is believed to have been wounded at the start of the war and has not been seen publicly since, is getting more involved in the talks.

“I think there are indications out there that he is increasingly engaging at some level, although all of his communications have been in writing and through intermediaries,” he said.

Rubio’s testimony, which covered a range of topics in addition to the Iran conflict, was met with fierce objections from Democrats. Senator Chris Van Hollen, of Maryland, lashed out at the US and Israeli decision to strike Iran, accusing the Republican president of entering the war on behalf of Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “said he’s been waiting 40 years to do this,” Van Hollen said. “It turns out he finally found a president who was both stupid and reckless enough to join him. Let’s face it, Mr. Secretary, the Trump foreign policy has become a dumpster fire.”

Trump denies Iranian reports that regime cut off talks

The remarks came shortly after Iranian media reported the regime stopped communicating with mediators several days ago, after Israel threatened to bomb targets in Beirut connected to the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group.

The latest message from Tehran to Washington was “a clear message about Lebanon,” the Fars news agency said without elaborating.

Trump denied the reports, however, writing on his Truth Social platform: “The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today.”

“Where they lead, one never knows, but as I told Iran, ‘It’s time, one way or
another, for you to make a deal,’” he wrote.

According to Iran’s Mehr News Agency, the regime was reviewing a proposed final text of a temporary deal, but is taking a “stern” approach given what it sees as a history of US non-compliance and longstanding mistrust.

Israel and the US launched their campaign against Iran on February 28 in a bid to destabilize the regime and destroy its nuclear and ballistic missile capacities. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes across the region, and its proxies have also carried out attacks.

Those proxies include Hezbollah in Lebanon, which attacked Israel on March 2, sparking renewed conflict. Israel and the Lebanese government began a new round of political talks at the US State Department on Tuesday amid efforts to resolve that conflict.

Iran has also blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea passage for about a fifth of the world’s oil supplies. In response, the US blockaded Iranian ports to prevent the Islamic State from shipping oil.

Mediated talks between the US and Iran have continued, as have sporadic exchanges of fire between the two.