Rubio says “highly technical” negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program could take months
Negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program would be “highly technical” and could take months, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday.
The top US diplomat said such a phase would be predicated on Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
“Phase 2 is they have to commit to very specific negotiations on … the disposition of the highly enriched uranium that still is buried deep in a mountain somewhere,” Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “They have to agree on negotiating severe and long-term limitations, and/or cancellation of enrichment activity in their country.”
“Obviously, these are highly technical matters, so I don’t think you could work those out in five days. That would require a team of experts to meet over a 30-, 60-, 90-day period and work out the details, but they have to commit to their willingness to do that,” Rubio said.
Rubio indicated that Tehran had “agreed to negotiate aspects of their nuclear program,” but did not provide details on which aspects and noted any negotiations are “not a guarantee that ultimately it will lead to a deal that’s acceptable to the Senate or acceptable to the American people.”
He said first Iran must announce the strait is open, with no tolls, and that it will remove mines and not fire on ships. The US has not offered sanctions relief to Iran for opening the strait, Rubio said, noting that the lifting of sanctions would be conditions-based.
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