US Secretary of State Rubio Says America Open to Iran Talks But Questions Tehran’s Commitment

Published On 22 Jul 202622 Jul 2026

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that while America remains open to diplomatic negotiations with Iran to resolve ongoing tensions, he expressed skepticism regarding Tehran’s genuine commitment to meaningful dialogue.

“The United States remains open and willing to engage in positive and constructive negotiations and discussions, provided that the commitments made are honoured,” Rubio said during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Manila on Wednesday.

“The problem we’re having right now is that they’re not serious about talks. If they’re serious, we’re serious. If they’re not, then we will do what’s necessary to protect our interests and also the interests of our allies,” he added in the Philippine capital.

This comes as the US launched attacks against Iran for an eleventh consecutive night, with explosions heard in several parts of the country.

As the conflict continues to disrupt two of the world’s most important routes for the transport of energy, Rubio emphasized his opposition to Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz.

“If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll, and if you don’t pay them blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent, which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in this region,” he said.

“At its core, it’s very simple. Iran demands the right, which they do not have under any existing legal mechanism, to control the transit of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz,” Rubio continued.

“There is a fundamental principle about freedom of navigation that is threatened. That cannot be allowed to happen.”

Rubio also discussed the US’s relationship with ASEAN member states, emphasizing that it represents a matter of national interest for Washington and that the security and prosperity of the US and Southeast Asia are closely interconnected.

“I believe very much that the future and the story of the 21st century will be written in this region and by how events unfold here,” he said.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump renewed his threats to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities at Natanz “pretty soon”. Iran promised it would retaliate.

Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya military command stated on Tuesday that it would “consider it as an expansion of war in the region” if such an attack were carried out, warning it could lead to strikes on “all the interests of America, its allies and supporters”.

Fifty people have been killed and 500 wounded in the recent US attacks on Iran, according to a health ministry official.

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