US Secretary of State: Trump Prefers Negotiation Over War with Iran

Washington — United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that President Donald Trump would prefer to resolve issues with Iran through negotiation, including if Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wished to meet with Trump.

“The President has said that his preference is to reach a deal with Iran. Although it is very difficult, he will try. That is what we are currently trying to do,” Rubio said in an interview with Bloomberg on Saturday.

Rubio stated that nations need to interact with one another, whilst affirming that he works “under a president who is willing to meet with anyone.”

“I am fairly confident in saying that if the Ayatollah wanted to meet with President Trump tomorrow, the President would meet him — not because he agrees with the Ayatollah, but because he believes that is how problems in the world are resolved,” he added.

Responding to questions about the deployment of a second US aircraft carrier to the Middle East, Rubio stressed that the United States would never allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons, which he described as a threat to the US, Europe, the region, and global security.

“Clearly, we want to have forces in the region because Iran has demonstrated the willingness and capability to attack and launch strikes against the United States’ presence in the region,” he said.

The US Secretary of State emphasised that Washington maintains bases in the region due to its alliances there. “Iran has shown in the past that they are willing to attack and/or threaten our bases,” he said.

Rubio added that the US must have “sufficient firepower in the region to ensure that they do not make a mistake and attack us, thereby triggering something larger.”