HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that diplomatic efforts to end the war with Iran have made little progress and are not close to a breakthrough. Trump had already spoken to CNN earlier Sunday, saying renewed U.S. strikes were “highly unlikely” if the talks keep moving.
The questions came at Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida, shortly before his flight to Paris for the Group of Seven foreign ministers’ meeting. Other countries have not stopped trying, he said. They keep going to Iran with ideas of their own.
“I wouldn’t say we’re on the verge of a breakthrough,” Rubio said.
The talks themselves, he added, have not produced much. Iran’s demands are the main reason.
“Right now, it hasn’t been very productive because the Iranian demands are simply not just unacceptable, but in some cases outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic.”
Trump still prefers a diplomatic settlement, according to Rubio. If a real chance to reach one appears, the United States will look at it, he said, though he noted that diplomacy is sometimes not possible.
Trump tells CNN a new round of strikes is ‘highly unlikely’
Trump made his remarks earlier Sunday in a 20-minute phone interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto. He returned to the phrase “highly unlikely” five times, CNN reported, and tied it to whether Iran signs what he called a very strong agreement on its nuclear program and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
“It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement,” Trump said. “The answer is highly unlikely it’s going to be necessary. I would if necessary, but we hit them really hard.”
He did not take further military action off the table. U.S. forces in the region are ready, he said, with three aircraft carriers in place, and the United States has already picked out infrastructure targets inside Iran, including power plants and 38 bridges it could bring down in an hour.
Task Force Iron Gate targets Iran’s land routes
While the talks stall, Washington is tightening the routes around Iran. U.S. Central Command announced Saturday that it has formed Task Force Iron Gate to stop Iran from using ground routes to move advanced weapons and other materials.
CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper directed the creation of the task force, CENTCOM said. It is an internal staff of about 20 civilian and military personnel based in Tampa, Florida, and it will coordinate with other U.S. government agencies on preventing the movement of advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials and illegal revenue streams across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea.
“The establishment of Task Force Iron Gate reinforces the success of our ironclad blockade against Iran at sea,” Cooper said in the CENTCOM statement.
Trump pointed to the new unit in a post on Truth Social on Sunday afternoon. “Task Force Iron Gate is in full force and effect in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Coupled with history’s greatest Naval Blockade, very little gets into, or out of, Iran!” he wrote.
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