Rubio says Iran talks show little progress, no breakthrough

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said U.S.-Iran diplomacy has made little progress and that he sees no imminent breakthrough, while the Trump administration remains open to a negotiated settlement. Rubio made the remarks in Florida on Sunday, November 8, before leaving for a Group of Seven foreign ministers’ meeting in Paris.

Rubio said Iran’s demands were unacceptable and, in some cases, unrealistic, but did not identify the demands. He said President Donald Trump would prefer to resolve the conflict through diplomacy and that Washington would explore a deal if an opportunity arose. Rubio also said several countries continued to engage Iran with different ideas.

Trump said further U.S. strikes were highly unlikely if negotiations made progress and produced a strong agreement. In a phone interview, he said he would order military action if necessary, while describing a renewed campaign as unlikely. He referred to Iran’s nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as issues a strong agreement would address.

Trump also said the United States had identified potential infrastructure targets in Iran, including power plants and bridges. Those comments did not amount to a...