- Marco Rubio refutes claims of offering Iran sanctions relief in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
- Rubio asserts that any sanctions relief is contingent on Iran’s abandonment of its nuclear program.
- The Trump administration is pushing for cuts in the foreign affairs budget and an increase in military spending.
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified on Tuesday that the Trump administration has not proposed any sanctions relief for Iran in return for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. He emphasized that any sanctions relief would be directly linked to Iran’s willingness to abandon its nuclear program.
“At this point, all discussions with Iran have been centered around the fact that any sanctions relief would be conditional. This means it would be in exchange for the very reason those sanctions were imposed in the first place, which is their nuclear program,” Rubio explained during a Senate hearing.
Speaking publicly in Congress for the first time since the onset of the Iran war, Rubio stated that Iran could expect sanctions relief if they agreed to halt their nuclear activities.
“Iran is under sanctions due to their possession of highly enriched uranium and their nuclear activities. If they agree to abandon these, there will be sanctions relief associated with their commitment and compliance with those agreements,” he added.
Rubio addressed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday morning as the Trump administration seeks congressional approval for its proposed 30% cut to the foreign affairs budget and a 50% increase in military spending.
He was scheduled to appear at three other hearings later on Tuesday and on Wednesday, as his fellow Republicans have been expressing concerns about the Iran war.
Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security adviser, was a senator from Florida until January 2025. Lawmakers expressed hope that their former colleague would outline a strategy for ending the Iran conflict, which began with strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28.
Senator: Constituents want domestic economic relief, not regime change
While Rubio has been discussing the Iran war with members of Congress behind closed doors, he has not publicly testified on the conflict. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the leading Democrat on the foreign relations panel, criticized Rubio for not providing Congress with information about the administration’s plans.
“When I speak with my constituents, they express a need for economic relief at home, not regime change in Havana, Caracas, or Tehran,” she said.
“Instead, you sent Congress a war powers notification stating we are not in active hostilities with Iran, while the U.S. was conducting strikes against Iran, and Iran was bombing U.S. embassies and bases throughout the Middle East. This was not consultation, but an attempt to avoid accountability to this committee and this Congress about this war.”
With rising prices causing increasing frustration among Americans, Trump’s fellow Republicans are hopeful that he can reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reduce U.S. gasoline prices before the November elections that will determine whether the party retains its slim majorities in Congress.
Trump also has to deal with Iran hawks in his party who are against any concessions to Tehran.
Is a deal to end the war in sight?
Trump and his supporters maintain that the war will be justified if it prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Trump also insists that gasoline prices will decrease and has been asserting for weeks that he will negotiate a favorable deal to end the conflict.
Iran is seeking an interim agreement with sanctions relief that would grant them access to billions of dollars in oil revenue. However, Washington has continued to impose sanctions against Iranian entities during the ongoing negotiations.
Rubio did not provide a timeline for a potential deal. He stated that Iran had planned to enhance its conventional weapons capabilities as a “shield” for its nuclear program. “Their plan was to build a conventional shield and hide behind it,” he said, explaining why Trump felt it was necessary to initiate the war.
As the Iran conflict enters its fourth month, lawmakers, including some of Trump’s fellow Republicans, have been increasingly questioning the fighting.
Last month, the Senate voted to advance a war powers resolution that would end the Iran conflict unless Trump obtains Congress’ authorization. Days later, House leaders abruptly postponed a vote on a similar resolution when it appeared likely to pass.
Senators also inquired about U.S. forces firing on boats off Venezuela since September, in a campaign the administration claims is aimed at stopping “narco-traffickers” and has resulted in over 200 deaths.
Some criticized the administration for drastic cuts to U.S. foreign aid, citing reports that hundreds of thousands of children have died since the U.S. abruptly ended foreign aid programs last year, and the severity of an Ebola outbreak in Africa.
Rubio announced that the U.S. would re-engage with the global vaccine alliance Gavi. He said the decision to re-engage was made a few weeks ago, after the Trump administration withdrew funding from Gavi last year.
Disagree – Sanctions on Iran should not be lifted, as they are necessary for national security.
Disagree – Sanctions should remain to ensure Iran does not pose a threat to the region.
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