Marco Rubio. Photo: Nathan Howard / Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Iran must stop enriching uranium, developing long-range missiles, and allow U.S. inspectors to its nuclear facilities. These demands were made against the backdrop of the postponement of the next round of nuclear talks, which indicates serious disagreements between the parties. This was reported by Reuters.
“Iran must stop sponsoring terrorism, supporting the Houthis in Yemen, developing missiles that exist only to deliver nuclear weapons, and – most importantly – enriching uranium itself,” Rubio said in an interview with Fox News.
His statement came after President Donald Trump once again threatened a military strike against Iran in the absence of an agreement. This further exacerbates the situation, as official Tehran insists on its right to a “peaceful” nuclear programme, while Washington insists on its complete dismantling.
Analysts say that Rubio’s statement means a tougher US position, which may make it harder to reach a compromise, but also signals Washington’s intention to avoid repeating the mistakes of previous agreements, which, according to the White House, only delayed Iran’s nuclear programme.
Iran, Marco Rubio, nuclear deal, uranium enrichment, missiles, inspections, USA, Donald Trump, Houthis, terrorism, sanctions, Middle East
