US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Tuesday said the Trump administration remained open to a peace deal with Iran, but called some of Tehran’s demands “absurd” and indicated that Washington would intensify its economic pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic.
Additionally, Rubio also ruled out US reparations to Iran, saying, “We’re not going to pay. Iran is demanding reparations. They’re demanding pallets of cash, which the president made clear is not going to happen.”
Because they’re the ones that have destabilized the region, they should be the ones paying reparations.
His remarks came days after US President Donald Trump said the US military campaign against Iran was “effectively over”, adding that Washington wanted to maintain the status quo in the region. Speaking to reporters in Paris on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting, Rubio said the US economic sanctions and naval blockade of Iranian ports had inflicted severe damage on Iran’s economy and he had informed allies that there would be no need to resume major combat operations. The top US diplomat accused the “radical regime of lunatics” of destroying the country by refusing US demands to end the ongoing conflict. When asked about diplomatic efforts, Rubio said the US was open to negotiations but called Tehran’s demands “unrealistic”. Rubio said the US campaign was wreaking “devastation” on the Iranian economy and indicated that it was likely to intensify in the coming months. Rubio told G7 allies that Trump had considered resuming the war with Iran or reaching a deal but ultimately chose a third option: strangling the Iranian regime, according to an Axios report.
Iran slams Rubio’s remarks
Forget about the inhumanity.
“8 years ago a cartoon character like Pompeo said Iranians must follow White House diktat “if they want to eat”. It’s the delusions that are producing failed US policy,” he said. Today, Rubio—whose fellow Cubans are victims of same policy—repeats that drivel.
