Washington, DC [US], July 20 (ANI): United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that Washington is receiving feelers through diverse channels regarding Tehran's willingness to hold talks, against the backdrop of widening fissures within the Iranian leadership.

Speaking to CNN, Rubio remarked, 'We are receiving signals through multiple channels of Iran's desire to negotiate, but there is a growing split within the regime.'

His assertions come against the backdrop of persistent military confrontations between the US and Iran. Washington has maintained that its targeted strikes are designed to degrade Tehran's military infrastructure, particularly assets tied to maritime assaults on commercial vessels transiting the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The top US diplomat further accused Tehran of leveraging the critical global shipping lane and called upon the international community to play a larger role in securing maritime trade routes.

Interacting with journalists ahead of his departure to the Philippines for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' meeting, Rubio affirmed that while the US will persist with operations to safeguard maritime transit, international allies must step up with hardware or financial assets to share the security burden.

'It's clear that Iran, at least some people in Iran, want to control the straits and hold that as leverage against the world,' Rubio stated.

'The United States will do and continue to do what it needs to, to protect global shipping, but other countries need to begin to step up and provide, whether it's hardware or finances, to help carry that burden,' he added.

Weighing in on the prospects of a diplomatic breakthrough, Rubio noted that Washington remains receptive to dialogue but emphasised that any prospective agreement must be credible and fully enforceable.

'I think we're always open to diplomacy. It has to be real. It has to be a deal that they're willing to live by,' he said.

These comments coincide with the US aerial campaign entering its ninth consecutive night of strikes. Iranian state media detailed multi-city explosions along the southern coastline and inside the northwestern hub of Tabriz, signalling a broader geographical expansion of the military operation.