Secretary of State Marco Rubio forcefully defended the Trump administration’s ongoing negotiations with Iran on Sunday, dismissing criticism from fellow Republicans as “absurd” amid growing backlash over a possible agreement involving the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.
Speaking during a press conference in India, Rubio rejected suggestions that President Trump would approve any arrangement that strengthens Tehran’s nuclear position.
“The idea that somehow this president, given everything he’s already proven he’s willing to do, is going to somehow agree to a deal that ultimately winds up putting Iran in a stronger position when it comes to nuclear ambitions is absurd,” Rubio said.
“That’s just not going to happen. But our preference is to address this through a diplomatic means, and that’s what we are endeavoring to do here. I think we’ve made some progress. I’m always cautious when I say that because you can agree to things on paper; they actually have to be implemented,” he added.
Rubio’s comments followed President Trump’s announcement that negotiations with Iran were “largely negotiated” after discussions with Arab allies throughout the Middle East. Trump indicated that one major component of the agreement would involve reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the critical global shipping route that has remained effectively shut amid the regional conflict.
“Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “In addition to many other elements of the Agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened.”
The emerging framework has sparked alarm among several Republican senators and conservative foreign policy figures, many of whom fear the administration could concede too much to Tehran after months of military confrontation.
Sen. Lindsey Graham warned that any agreement allowing Iran to maintain regional leverage would dramatically alter the balance of power in the Middle East.
“If a deal is struck to end the Iranian conflict because it is believed that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be protected from Iranian terrorism and Iran still possesses the capability to destroy major Gulf oil infrastructure, then Iran will be perceived as being a dominate force requiring a diplomatic solution,” Graham wrote in a post on X.
Sen. Ted Cruz also expressed deep concerns over reports surrounding the negotiations, suggesting some voices within the administration may be pushing the White House toward a dangerous compromise.
“President Trump’s decision to strike Iran was the most consequential decision of his second term. He was right to do so, and we achieved extraordinary military results—including destroying all of their missiles & drones and sinking their entire navy,” Cruz wrote.
“If the result of all that is to be an Iranian regime—still run by Islamists who chant ‘death to America’—now receiving billions of dollars, being able to enrich uranium & develop nuclear weapons, and having effective control over the Strait of Hormuz, then that outcome would be a disastrous mistake,” he continued.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also voiced skepticism over the direction of the talks, comparing the rumored framework to Obama-era negotiations that conservatives long criticized.
“The deal being floated with Iran seems straight out of the Wendy Sherman-Robert Malley-Ben Rhodes playbook: Pay the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)] to build a WMD program and terrorize the world,” Pompeo said in an X post.
{Matzav.com}