Trump team hopes Pakistan can rescue stalled US-Iran talks
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (photo: Getty Images)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hopes that the visit of Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, to Tehran will help advance diplomacy aimed at ending the war in Iran, Alarabiya reports.
"I believe the Pakistanis will be traveling to Tehran today. So hopefully that'll advance this further," Rubio told reporters.
He also renewed criticism of NATO for not supporting the US war with Iran while heading to Alliance talks in Sweden.
"There are many countries in NATO that agree with us that Iran can't have a nuclear weapon, that Iran is a threat to the world," Rubio told reporters in Miami before departing for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden.
The US Secretary of State also recalled the US president's promise regarding Iran that "something about it" must be done, regardless of assistance from Alliance allies.
"He's not asking them to commit troops. He's not asking them to send their fighter jets in. But they refuse to do anything," the senior US official concluded.
As is known, Pakistan is currently mediating negotiations between the United States and Iran. The sides cannot reach a peace agreement because each firmly insists on its own position. This uncompromising stance is clearly visible, at least on the issue of Iran's nuclear program — Washington insists on ending it, while Tehran has no intention of giving it up.
Issues regarding Iran's already enriched uranium stockpiles, Iranian frozen assets located in several countries, as well as safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, also remain unresolved.
