US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed that President Donald Trump remains open to direct talks with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, despite escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
“Nation states need to interact with one another – I serve under a president that’s willing to meet with anybody,” he told Bloomberg.
“I’m pretty confident in saying that if the Ayatollah said tomorrow he wanted to meet with President Trump, the president would meet him, not because he agrees with the Ayatollah, but because he thinks that’s the way you solve problems in the world,” Rubio added.
The statement comes as both nations navigate high-stakes negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme and regional security concerns.
Trump, during a recent NBC News interview, warned that Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei “should be very worried”, while simultaneously expressing hope that Iran would agree to a deal.
“Hopefully we’ll make a deal. If we don’t make a deal, then we’ll find out whether or not he was right,” Trump told reporters when asked about Khamenei’s warning that a US attack would trigger a “regional war”.
The diplomatic overtures occur against a backdrop of significant US military buildup in the Middle East.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyers moved into striking range of Iran last month, whilst Trump confirmed on 14 February that a second carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, would deploy to the region.
Washington’s demands extend beyond Iran’s nuclear programme to include curbs on ballistic missiles and support for regional militias, though Tehran has insisted its missile capabilities remain non-negotiable.
Iranian officials have responded with mixed signals, expressing willingness to discuss nuclear issues whilst ruling out broader negotiations.
A senior Iranian official told news agency Reuters that talks would focus solely on the nuclear programme, declaring the missile programme “off the table”.
The diplomatic dance follows months of tension sparked by Iran’s brutal crackdown on anti-government protests in December and January, during which thousands were reportedly killed by security forces.