Rubio: Iran’s New Supreme Leader Engaged in Nuclear Talks
Washington — Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers on Tuesday that U.S. negotiators have seen indications that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is “increasingly engaging” in negotiations, even as the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran remains under strain. Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in his first congressional appearance since the Iran war began on February 28, Rubio revealed that Iran has agreed to discuss aspects of its nuclear program it previously refused to even mention.
A New Leader in the Shadows
Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after the latter was killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on the first day of the war. Since then, the new Supreme Leader has maintained an extremely low public profile — a decision Rubio acknowledged as understandable given the circumstances.
“I would imagine, given what’s happened to multiple leaders in that system, being very public is probably not something that’s recommended for them internally,” Rubio said, according to AP News. “But that said, I think there are indications out there that he is increasingly engaging at some level, although all of his communications have been in writing and through intermediaries.”
Nuclear Concessions
Rubio offered a cautiously optimistic assessment of the negotiations, telling the committee that Tehran has shown a new willingness to compromise.
“They have agreed to negotiate aspects of their nuclear program that just a month ago, just a year ago, they were refusing to even mention,” Rubio said, as reported by Al Jazeera. However, he cautioned that this shift “is not a guarantee that ultimately it will lead to a deal that’s acceptable” to Congress.
No Sanctions Relief for Strait of Hormuz
Pressed by Democratic Senator Chris Murphy on what incentives Washington is offering Tehran, Rubio made clear that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil and LNG supplies transited before the war — would not be rewarded with sanctions relief.
“Right now, everything that’s been discussed with them is that any sanctions relief is condition-based, which means it has to be in return for the reason why those sanctions were put in place in the first place, which is their nuclear program,” Rubio said, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Trump Disputes Reports of Stalled Talks
President Donald Trump weighed in on the negotiations via Truth Social on Tuesday, disputing reports from Iranian state media that talks had ceased. “The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today,” Trump wrote. He added: “Where they lead, one never knows, but as I told Iran, ‘It’s time, one way or another, for you to make a Deal.’”
Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported that Tehran is still studying the latest U.S. proposal and has not communicated with Washington in several days, as reported by The Guardian.
Domestic Political Pressure
The hearing revealed deep partisan divisions over the administration’s handling of the conflict. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen delivered a sharp rebuke, telling Rubio: “Let’s face it, Mr. Secretary, the Trump foreign policy has become a dumpster fire.” Senator Cory Booker questioned the U.S. negotiating position, saying: “We are the strongest nation on the planet Earth, and we’re in a stalemate with Iran. And now we’re begging to get back into a deal that you all trashed in the first place.”
Rubio pushed back forcefully. “There’s no one begging,” he responded. “I don’t know where you’re getting this perception that Iran is stronger.”
Fragile Ceasefire and the Road Ahead
The April 8 ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran remains fragile, with both sides accusing each other of violations. The war has killed 14 U.S. service members and thousands of civilians, while Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has driven up global energy prices — a politically sensitive issue for the Trump administration ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections.
Iran has also insisted that a full ceasefire in Lebanon must be part of any agreement with Washington, complicating negotiations as Israel continues strikes in southern Lebanon. The IAEA’s Director General, Rafael Grossi, has emphasized that any final deal must include robust verification and monitoring mechanisms.
With Trump reportedly tightening the terms of the peace proposal in recent days and Iran still studying the latest offer, the coming weeks will be critical in determining whether the fragile truce can be transformed into a lasting agreement — or whether the region slides back into open conflict.