U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that President Donald Trump continues to prioritize diplomacy in addressing tensions with Iran, revealing that indirect communications between the two sides are ongoing.
"There are direct messages and talks taking place between parties inside Iran and the United States, primarily through intermediaries,” Rubio said during an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera.
"The Iranian regime has chosen to spend its country’s wealth to support Hezbollah, Hamas and Shia militias inside Iraq and to needlessly threaten its neighbors,” he said.
"We would always welcome a scenario in which Iran is led by people with a different vision for the future, and if such an opportunity arises we will seize it,” he added.
Rubio also rejected any Iranian claim over the Strait of Hormuz, calling it "an illegal condition” that "no country in the world” should accept.
"The United States will not accept not accept that condition,” he said, while noting that a "very little” of American energy comes through the Straits of Hormuz.
Rubio said that Washington recognizes the impact the closure has on "global markets and on our neighbors, especially our allies in the region, who produce energy and have to get it out to market."
"If Iran chooses to close the Strait of Hormuz after the military operation ends, it will face severe consequences,” he added.
The U.S. and Israel have been carrying out airstrikes on Iran since Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people, according to Iranian authorities.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.
At least 13 U.S. service members have been killed since the war began, according to official US figures, and the conflict has driven up energy prices and affected shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil chokepoint with a significant portion of global oil shipments passing through it.
A US proposal delivered via Pakistan calls for Iran to curb its nuclear and missile programs and limit control over key energy routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran has rejected it as serving U.S. and Israeli interests while keeping indirect channels open.
