Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed expectations for a potential agreement to ease tensions with Iran while speaking to reporters before boarding a flight to Agra, India, during his ongoing visit.
Rubio called any Iran deal a “work in progress” but expressed confidence that disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz can be resolved. “We have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the straits, get the straits open, enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matters, and hopefully we can pull it off,” he said.
Speaking at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on May 25, 2026, Rubio attributed the delay in talks to the nature of the “Iranian system.”
He also addressed the separate situation in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes and Hezbollah attacks have continued despite a ceasefire agreed by Israeli and Lebanese leaders. Rubio said the U.S. is negotiating on Lebanon independently of any deal with Iran.
“Lebanon, we’re working on separately. With Lebanon, we are engaged now. We have a 45-day ceasefire. We’ve had weekly meetings now, and ongoing daily engagements between the government of Lebanon and Israel,” Rubio said. He added that the core problem is Hezbollah: “As long as an armed Hezbollah exists, it’s going to be hard to achieve peace in Lebanon.”
When asked whether the ceasefire would require Israel to stop strikes inside Lebanon, Rubio emphasized Israel’s right to self-defense and to prevent attacks launched from Lebanese territory, saying those issues are being clarified during the ceasefire and will be addressed going forward.
– ABC News’ Alex Ederson