US comments on new strikes against Iran as peace deal in jeopardy

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on Washington’s latest strikes on Iran, stating that a deal with Tehran remains possible despite the new military action that has cast doubt on their fragile ceasefire.

‘There are discussions underway in Qatar today, so we will see if we can make progress. I think there is a lot of back-and-forth on specific language in the initial document, so it will take a few days,’ Rubio told journalists in Jaipur during his visit to India on Tuesday (26 May 202).

‘The President has expressed his desire to achieve it. He will either strike a good deal or none at all,’ he added.

The airstrikes occurred as key Iranian negotiators arrived in Doha, Qatar, for the latest round of US-Iran talks aimed at ending months-long hostilities. The conflict has destabilised the Middle East and blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy exports.

At the same time, Rubio stated that the Strait of Hormuz was already open, adding that Iran’s actions were illegal.

‘The strait will be open one way or another; it must be open. What is happening there is illegal, unlawful, unsustainable for the world, and unacceptable,’ he said.

Previously, US fighter jets targeted vessels belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iranian media reported explosions near Bandar Abbas port on Monday local time.

According to SNN, the strikes on Iranian vessels occurred south of Larak Island, in the narrowest part of the Strait of Hormuz, which remains under a de facto US-Iran blockade. At least three Iranian sailors were killed.

Media also reported a series of explosions in Bandar Abbas, home to an Iranian naval base. However, the Pentagon has yet to confirm the strikes, though the US military had previously warnings of intervention in response to Iranian attacks on ships transiting the strait.