Rubio says US and Iran likely to reach nuclear agreement

Moscow (ANTARA) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio believes the US has a strong chance of reaching a temporary nuclear agreement with Iran. ‘There is a strong possibility on the table for them to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, restore shipping routes, and enter into a genuine, significant, time-bound negotiation on nuclear issues, and we hope to achieve this,’ Rubio was quoted by Reuters as saying. Rubio stressed that the US is committed to pursuing all diplomatic avenues with Iran before resorting to alternative measures. He added that Washington would either reach a ‘good agreement’ with Iran or address the issue ‘in another way.’ On Sunday, Fox News reported that a framework agreement between the US and Iran was ‘95 per cent complete,’ though negotiations are still debating the wording regarding the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s nuclear material supplies. On February 28, the US and Israel launched joint attacks on targets in Iran, killing more than 3,000 people. On April 8, Washington and Tehran announced a two-week ceasefire. However, subsequent talks in Islamabad ended without concrete results. Despite no announcement of renewed hostilities, the US has begun imposing a blockade on Iranian ports.