U.S. Secretary of State Rubio Says Iran Is Serious About a Deal, But It Must Include Giving Up Nuclear Weapons

[Financial News]  
\r\n\r\n
Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, said on the 27th local time that Iran is "serious" about reaching a peace agreement with the United States.
However, Rubio made clear that any peace deal must include a halt to Iran's nuclear weapons development.
That was widely seen as a rejection of Iran's reported proposal to first agree to peace, then reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and leave the nuclear issue for last.
In an interview with Fox News that day, Rubio said, "They [Iran] probably seem desperate to find a way out of the predicament they are in."
He added that Iran's economic conditions are worsening under continued sanctions, along with inflation and unpaid wages. "All the problems that existed before this conflict [war] are still there, and most of them have gotten worse," he emphasized.
Rubio also made it clear that the U.S. would not rush into a deal simply because Iran is desperate.
He said, "The United States must make sure that whatever agreement is reached... it definitely prevents them from making a leap to nuclear weapons at some point."
The two sides held peace talks in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, on the 11th, but failed to reach an agreement. A meeting scheduled for the 25th was canceled altogether.
\r\n
\r\n
dympna@fnnews.com Song Kyung-jae Reporter