Rubio: US will reach Iran deal or pursue “another way”

The United States will either reach a “good agreement” with Iran or handle the situation “another way,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on May 25, as Washington tempered expectations of a rapid breakthrough in talks aimed at ending the months-long conflict.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Rubio said the United States would continue to prioritise diplomacy but would consider “alternatives” if negotiations fail. His remarks followed President Donald Trump’s comments a day earlier, in which he urged his team not to rush into a deal with Tehran, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Rubio pointed to what he described as a “pretty solid thing on the table,” including proposals related to reopening maritime access and launching a time-limited negotiation on Iran’s nuclear programme. “Hopefully we can pull it off,” he said.

On May 24, Trump also wrote on Truth Social that restrictions on Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz would remain in place until a formal agreement is reached, certified and signed. “Both sides must take their time and get it right,” he said.

There was no immediate official response from the Iranian government. However, Iran’s Tasnim news agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that disagreements persist, including Tehran’s demand for the release of frozen Iranian assets abroad.

Markets reacted positively to the prospect of de-escalation. Oil prices fell around 6% on May 25, reaching two-week lows, as investors anticipated progress toward a potential agreement.

Trump had earlier suggested on May 23 that Washington and Tehran had “largely negotiated” a memorandum of understanding aimed at a broader peace arrangement that could reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is critical for global energy supplies, with roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passing through it before the conflict.

Despite signs of movement, major differences remain between the two sides, particularly over Iran’s nuclear programme, regional security issues involving Iran-backed groups such as Hezbollah, and Tehran’s demand for sanctions relief and access to frozen oil revenues held in foreign banks.

By Vugar Khalilov