US Open to Meeting Iran at UN General Assembly, Rubio Says
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US is open to speaking with Iran at the UN General Assembly, though nothing is scheduled yet.
The United States is open to holding talks with Iran on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday, while noting that no such meeting has been arranged so far.
In an interview with NBC's "Today" show, Rubio said Washington would be willing to engage if the discussions carried the prospect of a positive outcome. He described the broader objective as ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.
"We're open to that. I don't think anything is scheduled at this point, but we're certainly open to something like that, especially if it has the prospects of leading to something positive and ultimately achieving the goal of what this is all about," Rubio said.
"And that is the fact that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. They just simply can't," he added.
The remarks come as world leaders gather for the annual UN General Assembly, a setting that has in the past provided opportunities for diplomatic contact between countries with strained ties. Rubio's comments leave the door open to a possible encounter, even as he made clear that nothing has been fixed.
No further details were immediately available on whether any contact between US and Iranian officials is being explored.