During a visit to the Hungarian capital, Budapest, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that reaching an agreement with Iran would be difficult, but stressed that Washington would do its utmost to achieve this, according to Reuters.
In a joint press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Rubio said: “Reaching an agreement with Iran is difficult. We have always said it is difficult, but we will try. Our negotiators are on their way there now, they will hold meetings, and we will see what happens. We hope that an agreement will be reached.”
On the ground, on Monday, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard launched military maneuvers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state television, on the eve of the launch of a new round of talks between Iran and the United States in Geneva. The television explained that the maneuvers, the duration of which has not been determined, aim to prepare the Guards to confront “possible security and military threats” in the Strait, after Washington deployed a large naval force in the region.
It is noteworthy that Tehran has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global oil production passes.
In the diplomatic context, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei confirmed that his country is entering the diplomatic track “seriously and in good faith,” noting that lifting sanctions is “an issue inseparable from our interests,” stressing that the rumors circulating regarding the details of the negotiations with the United States are “unfounded.”
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Geneva on Monday. Grossi wrote on the “X” platform: “I have just finished in-depth technical discussions with the Iranian Foreign Minister in preparation for important negotiations scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, in Geneva.”
The second round of “indirect” talks, mediated by Oman, is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Tehran announced, after a first round held in the Sultanate of Oman in early February, and in light of an American threat to intervene militarily. The Iranian Mehr Agency revealed that these talks will be held inside the headquarters of the Omani embassy in Geneva.
On the American side, the White House confirmed that President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will come to Geneva to participate in the talks.
Regarding the Ukraine file, Rubio explained that the United States does not impose any agreement on the parties to the conflict, but rather offers assistance to bring points of view closer together. He said: “All we seek is to play a role, if possible, in reaching an agreement. We are not trying to impose an agreement on anyone and we do not force any party to accept what it does not want.” He added that his country will continue to do everything in its power to end the Ukrainian conflict, considering that “the world will become better if we succeed in this endeavour.”
