Rubio: Iran officials’ remarks don’t ‘necessarily reflect’ conversations

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday signaled progress in talks with Iran, saying Iranian officials are saying the right things in private despite their defiant public stance. 

“You have people over there that are saying some of the right things privately,” Rubio, who also serves as acting national security adviser, said in an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

“Obviously, they’re not going to put it out in press releases, and what they say to you or put out there for the world doesn’t necessarily reflect what they’re saying in our conversations.”

Rubio also raised doubt that Iranian officials who have survived U.S. and Israeli strikes and are in talks with the U.S. have full control over the country and its military, echoing concerns from the White House and regional leaders..

“We have to see if these people end up being the ones in charge, seeing if they’re the ones that have the power to deliver,” Rubio said while not disclosing with whom the U.S. is negotiating. 

A regional diplomatic source said last week that Iranian leadership remains fluid, and that Tehran allowing more than a dozen ships through the Strait of Hormuz shows at least someone on the Iranian side holds control in an area that is the most significant part of negotiations. 

Pakistan announced on Sunday that it would soon host talks between the U.S. and Iran, although its foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, did not indicate if a date has been set for the negotiations.

The U.S. had delivered to Iran 15 points for concessions as part of negotiations and the regional source said last week that while Tehran was engaging on the document, it also sent its own five- to six-point proposal.

But in public, Iran is projecting defiance. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday criticized the U.S. proposals and said the Islamic Republic is only focused on defense. 

“Our position is clear. We are under military aggression. Therefore, all our efforts and strength are focused on defending ourselves,” Baghaei said, according to Reuters. 

President Trump on Sunday said the U.S. is doing “extremely well” in negotiations with Iran, but “you never know with Iran, because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up.” 

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