Washington DC [US], May 6 (ANI): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday (local time) said Iran must 'accept the reality of the situation' and return to the negotiation table in order to achieve a complete solution to the crisis in West Asia, as Washington seeks to better understand the scope of issues Tehran may be willing to discuss.
Addressing a press briefing, Rubio said US officials are currently working to identify the areas Iran may be open to engaging on, suggesting that any early-stage understanding could begin with broader, high-level parameters rather than a detailed agreement.
He added that the US is focusing on establishing clarity over negotiation topics and possible concessions from Tehran.
'Iran must accept the reality of the situation and come to the negotiation table and accept the terms that are good for it but ultimately good for the world,' the US Secretary of State said.
'We don't have to have the actual agreement written out,' Rubio further said, adding, 'but we have to have a diplomatic solution that is very clear about the topics that they are willing to negotiate on and the extent and the concessions they're willing to make at the front end in order to make those talks worthwhile.'
The US Secretary of State also questioned Iran's repeated claims that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons, alleging contradictions between its statements and its actions. Rubio said that even though Iran has 'always said they don't want a nuclear weapon ... they just don't mean it'.
He accused Tehran of advancing capabilities that align with a potential weapons programme, including missile development and uranium enrichment infrastructure.
He furiously alleged Tehran was 'doing all the things' that a country does if it 'wants a nuclear weapons program' and noted Iran's push to innovate 'long-range delivery missiles' and its building of underground centrifuges for enrichment activity.
Rubio said that Tehran now has an opportunity to 'make it clear' that they do not want a nuclear weapon.
Separately, Rubio warned of severe global consequences if Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons, noting that Tehran would 'hold the world hostage' if they are able to acquire them.