Rubio Says Reaching a Peace Deal With Iran Is Extremely Difficult
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on 21 October that reaching a peace deal with Iran is extremely difficult, and that economic pressure on Iran will continue until Tehran stops targeting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a live report from Al Jazeera. The same day, Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the strait would remain closed until Washington accepts Tehran's conditions. He also said indirect talks between the two countries were continuing through Pakistan and Qatar.
The Strait of Hormuz is a sea passage used by commercial ships, and it has been at the center of the conflict for months. In May, Rubio told reporters that Iran had shut the strait, according to a transcript published by the State Department. Later that month, Reuters reported that Iran and the United States had reached a deal to extend their ceasefire, an agreed pause in fighting, and to lift restrictions on shipping through the strait. That agreement was pending approval from President Donald Trump.
Diplomacy continued into the autumn. In late September, Reuters reported that the two sides had held their first shuttle talks in months, a format in which mediators carry messages between the parties. An Iranian official said the two countries were still far apart. Around the same time, the Associated Press reported that Iran had offered to reopen the strait within seven days and to resume talks on its nuclear program if the United States lifted its naval blockade. A few days later, AP reported that mediators were working to broker a deal, but that major hurdles remained.
Rubio's latest comments continue that theme. Newsquawk reported on 20 October that Rubio had said it is difficult to reach an agreement with the Iranian regime and that Iran is controlled by hardliners. Al Jazeera's homepage that day also reported that Iran denies a collapse is close, while the United States has claimed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is running out of money.
