(TNND) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday there has been “some progress” in talks with Iran aimed at ending the conflict amid a fragile ceasefire.
He added, “We’re not there yet,” but said he remains hopeful.
“Honestly, it may not. We’re dealing with a very difficult group of people, and if it doesn’t change, then the president has been clear he has other options,” Rubio told reporters ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Sweden.
“He prefers the negotiated option and having a good deal, but he himself has expressed concern that maybe that’s not possible. But we’re going to keep trying,” Rubio continued. “I know our guys are still working on that very hard.”
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said he was holding off on a military strike against the Islamic Republic because “serious negotiations” were underway.
For weeks, Trump has warned the ceasefire reached in mid-April could collapse if Iran does not agree to a deal, though the parameters for such an agreement have shifted over time.
An effort to restrict Trump’s war powers was blocked again Thursday as House Republicans abruptly canceled a vote on a resolution.
GOP leaders had planned a vote on the Democratic-led legislation, which would require Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from the conflict with Iran unless Congress formally authorized military action.
But as opposition within the GOP mounted, leaders delayed the vote after realizing they likely lacked the support needed to defeat the measure.
Pakistan’s army chief traveled to Tehran on Friday for a third round of talks with Iranian leaders this week, according to two Pakistani officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
Field Marshal Asim Munir was joined by Pakistan’s interior minister, who had already met twice this week with Iranian leaders. Pakistan has worked to mediate a peace deal between Iran and the U.S. since Munir facilitated face-to-face talks between the two countries in Islamabad last month.
Major sticking points in the negotiations include Iran potentially closing the Strait of Hormuz — a vital waterway for global oil shipments — and the U.S. insistence that Iran never obtain a nuclear weapon.
While Iran is said to have offered some nuclear concessions, Trump has said he wants highly enriched uranium removed from the country and Iran permanently prevented from developing nuclear weapons. Iran maintains its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes.
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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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