In the midst of continuous military strikes, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed that the U.S. remains receptive to diplomatic discussions with Iran.
“The United States always remains open to a diplomatic solution. We’ve tried multiple times with Iran, and we’ll continue to try. If that door opens, we’ll be happy to see,” Rubio told CNN on Sunday before he departed for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Manila.
Rubio criticized Iran for its attacks on ships and for blocking the Strait of Hormuz. He mentioned the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the U.S. and Iran that was agreed upon in June, designed to enhance the ceasefire and restore traffic through the crucial waterway.
“They can’t have an MOU that’s alive if they’re violating the terms of it,” Rubio stated. He added that despite Iran’s indications of willingness to negotiate, its actions, such as launching missiles and drones against ships, is what is driving the U.S. is retaliation.
“..their behavior is what we’re responding to,” said Rubio.
