Rubio: US-Iran negotiations ongoing, but timing of deal uncertain

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on June 2 that negotiations with Iran are still underway, but the timing for a potential agreement remains uncertain. He made the remarks during a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, his first congressional testimony since the U.S. and Israel launched a major military operation against Iran in late February. In response to questions from lawmakers, Rubio explained that Iran has agreed to negotiate on parts of its nuclear program, a shift from its previous refusal to engage in dialogue. While an agreement could be reached today, tomorrow, or next week, he added there is no guarantee that a final deal requiring congressional ratification will be reached. Rubio also stressed that the U.S. has not offered to lift sanctions or allow the use of frozen assets in exchange for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Any sanctions relief must be conditional on resolving the issues with Iran's nuclear program, which was the reason for the sanctions, he said.