Washington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Iran still possesses a large number of drones, but its navy has been effectively neutralized, and the country’s conventional defense infrastructure has significantly weakened.
Rubio said that the United States is currently engaged in negotiations with Iran, which are in a sensitive phase and could conclude within a few days to a week.
According to Rubio, the US has imposed a blockade only on Iranian naval vessels, and no major country supports Iran in closing the Strait of Hormuz. He noted that possibly only Oman might support Iran on this matter.
He emphasized that the first and fundamental condition in the negotiations is for Iran to declare that it will keep the Strait of Hormuz open and to provide assurances that it will not charge any tolls or fees for passage through this critical waterway.
Rubio also stated that Iran must acknowledge that it does not possess any enriched uranium. Only if Iran agrees to these conditions will the US consider easing sanctions.
He clarified that merely opening the Strait of Hormuz will not be sufficient for sanctions relief; Iran must fully comply with all other agreed-upon conditions.
The US Secretary of State concluded that the results of the ongoing negotiations with Iran are expected soon, but the final outcome will depend on the positions and agreements of both parties.
