US ‘open’ to negotiations with Iran but Tehran not ‘serious’, Rubio says

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing AFP and Reuters, reports that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remains prepared to pursue talks aimed at ending the war with Iran, but accused Tehran of not approaching negotiations seriously. Speaking on Wednesday at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Manila, Rubio said the US would engage in constructive discussions if commitments were respected, while warning that Washington would act to protect its interests and those of its allies if Iran did not negotiate in good faith.

The remarks came as Al Jazeera reported continued US attacks on Iran for an eleventh consecutive night, with explosions heard in multiple areas. Rubio also focused on the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iranian efforts to control passage through the waterway would undermine freedom of navigation and set a precedent that could be repeated elsewhere. He argued that no current legal mechanism gives Iran the right to control traffic through the strait or impose conditions on ships.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key route for global energy shipments, making any threat to transit there significant for international markets and regional security. Rubio linked the issue to broader US interests in Southeast Asia, telling ASEAN counterparts that American security and prosperity are closely tied to the region.

Al Jazeera also reported that President Donald Trump had renewed threats to strike Iran’s Natanz nuclear facilities “pretty soon,” and that Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya military command warned such an attack would expand the war and could trigger strikes on US-linked interests. A health ministry official said recent US attacks had killed 50 people and wounded 500.