US Secretary of State: It will be difficult to reach an agreement with Iran

SadaNews - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced during a visit to the Hungarian capital Budapest on Monday that reaching an agreement with Iran will be difficult, but Washington will make every effort, according to "Reuters".

Rubio said at a joint press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, "Reaching an agreement with Iran is difficult. We have always said it is difficult, but we will try. Our negotiators are on their way there now. They will hold meetings. We will see what happens. We hope an agreement can be reached."

Meanwhile, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard began military maneuvers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to state television, on the eve of a new round of talks between Iran and the United States in Geneva.

Iranian television reported that these maneuvers, the duration of which was not specified, aim to prepare the Guard for "potential security and military threats" in the Strait of Hormuz, following the deployment of a large US naval force in the region.

Tehran has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world's oil production passes.

Additionally, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baqai confirmed on Monday that his country is entering the diplomatic track seriously and in good faith, noting that lifting sanctions is "an issue that cannot be separated from our interests", clarifying that rumors circulating about the details of negotiations with the United States are "baseless".

On Monday, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Geneva.

Grossi stated on his X platform account: "I just finished deep technical discussions with the Iranian foreign minister in preparation for important negotiations scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) in Geneva".

The second round of "indirect" talks, mediated by Oman, will begin on Tuesday, according to Tehran, following an initial round that took place in early February in Oman amid US threats of military intervention.

The Iranian news agency "Mehr" revealed that "the indirect US-Iranian talks will be held at the Omani embassy headquarters in Geneva".

On the US side, the White House confirmed on Sunday evening that President Donald Trump's envoy to the Middle East, Steve Wietkov, and the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will attend the talks in Geneva.

In the Ukraine file, Rubio clarified that the United States is not imposing any agreement regarding Ukraine on the parties to the conflict, but is only offering help to bridge differences.

Rubio stated at the press conference on Monday: "All we seek is to play a role, if possible, in reaching an agreement; we are not trying to impose an agreement on anyone, nor are we forcing any party to accept an agreement they do not want; we just want to help them".

The US Secretary of State pledged that his country would continue to do all it could to end the Ukrainian conflict. He commented: "We will continue to do everything we can to put an end to it; I believe the world would be a better place if we succeed in this endeavor."