US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled progress in negotiations involving Iran, while stressing that Tehran must never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.
May 24, 2026: Marco Rubio on Sunday indicated that major diplomatic progress had been achieved in ongoing negotiations involving Iran and suggested that further developments could emerge within hours. Speaking during a joint press conference with S. Jaishankar in New Delhi, Rubio said formal announcements would be made by Donald Trump, but confirmed that negotiations had advanced significantly in recent days. “Some progress has been made, significant progress, although not final progress has been made,” Rubio stated.
Reiterating Washington’s position on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, Rubio emphasized that the primary objective of the diplomatic efforts remained preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He said the United States continues to maintain that Iran must never possess a nuclear weapon under any circumstances. His remarks come amid renewed international attention on the Iran nuclear issue and rising tensions in the Gulf region over maritime security and regional stability.
Rubio also referred to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, criticizing threats against commercial shipping in the region and calling the waterway an international route protected under international law. He revealed that discussions with Gulf partners over the past 48 hours had produced progress toward a possible framework to ensure uninterrupted movement through the corridor without tolls or restrictions. Rubio is currently on a four-day visit to India, during which he held talks with Jaishankar on defence, trade, energy, emerging technologies and Indo-Pacific security, besides meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.