Rubio cites slight progress as talks face brinkmanship

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was “slight progress” in ongoing talks with Iran, but he warned against exaggerating movement as uncertainty persists over whether a deal can be reached or war resumes. His remarks came days after President Donald

TEL AVIV, Israel — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not try to dress it up. Standing ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, he told reporters that U.S. talks with Iran had produced “slight progress,” then immediately added that he didn’t want to exaggerate what’s happening.

“There’s a little bit of movement and that’s good,” Rubio said Friday, while emphasizing that the conversations were ongoing and that no agreement has yet been reached.

His comments landed days after President Donald Trump said he was holding off on a military strike on Iran because “serious negotiations” were underway. Trump has threatened for weeks that the ceasefire reached in mid-April could end if Iran does not make a deal. with shifting parameters for when the United States would strike. Rubio’s careful wording reflects the same fragility: in recent weeks. there have been repeated claims of progress. but a deal still hasn’t materialized.

For Trump, the pattern has been as consequential as the deadlines themselves. He has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off. He has also previously indicated he would hold off on military action to allow talks to continue. only to reverse course and launch strikes. That is what happened at the war’s outset. when he ordered strikes in late February shortly after indicating he would let talks play out.

Trump said this week he called off attacks on Iran at the request of allies in the Middle East. including the leaders of Qatar. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — countries that have been targeted by Iran and its allied militias. But the decision to give negotiations more time has not brought calm at home.

It sparked tension this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. An official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media said Thursday that Trump and Netanyahu had a “dramatic” phone conversation on Tuesday about the status of the Iranian negotiations. with Israel angry about Trump’s efforts to strike a deal. Trump later told reporters that Netanyahu will “will do whatever I want him to do.”.

The dispute offered some of the first public signs of daylight between the leaders since they launched the war in February. Even with ceasefire efforts continuing. the atmosphere remains taut: small shifts in messaging are now being watched as indicators of whether negotiations can hold long enough to produce results — or whether escalation will return.

By the time Rubio spoke, the regional pressure points were already hardening. Ceasefire efforts continue, but sticking points remain, including control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the shipment of oil, gas, fertilizer and other petroleum products.

Iran has effectively closed the strait, while the United States has blockaded Iranian ports and redirected 85 commercial vessels from mid-April through Monday, according to U.S. Central Command’s social media post.

The nuclear issue is also still central to the talks. The U.S. and Israel have said Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. While Iran was said to include some nuclear concessions. Trump has said he wants to remove highly enriched uranium from the country and prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

The war’s battlefield dynamics are also pushing diplomacy to the margins. On Friday. Pakistan said its interior minister traveled to Tehran twice this week to meet Iranian leaders as part of efforts to ease tensions between Iran and the United States. Tahir Andrabi. the Foreign Ministry spokesperson. said at a weekly news briefing in the capital that Pakistan’s political and military leadership were working to promote peace. and that the minister’s two visits were a testament to that. Andrabi said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Beijing on Saturday at China’s invitation for a four-day visit. with Pakistan’s peace efforts expected to be discussed.

Regional conflict has continued alongside those efforts. Two regional officials and a western diplomat told the Associated Press that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates separately launched multiple attacks on Iran and Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq during the war. An Israeli military officer with knowledge of the situation confirmed that the UAE proactively struck Iran at least once.

All of them spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information. The regional officials said the strikes on Iran targeted military facilities. including missile and drone launchers. mostly belonging to the Revolutionary Guard Corps. One regional official said Saudi Arabia targeted hideouts of Iraqi militias. mainly Kataib Hezbollah. after Riyadh assessed that most of the drone attacks on Saudi Arabia came from neighboring Iraq. The official said Saudi Arabia repeatedly briefed Baghdad about the Iraqi-originated attacks before deciding to strike.

The western diplomat and one regional official said the UAE had pushed for a collective military response from the Gulf Arab countries since the onset of the war.

Asked for comment. the UAE referred to a May 16 statement by its Foreign Ministry that “all measures undertaken by the UAE have been within the framework of defensive actions aimed at protecting its sovereignty. civilians. and vital infrastructure. in line with the country’s legitimate right to safeguard its national security and maintain its stability.” Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iran has not publicly addressed being targeted by the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The escalation also drew scrutiny from Iraq. Following claims that attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE had been launched from Iraqi territory, the Iraqi prime minister ordered an investigation. Iraq’s government did not respond to requests for comments.

Pakistan’s diplomatic effort. Rubio’s cautious “slight progress. ” Trump’s pause in strikes. and the hard reality of shipping disruptions and continued attacks all intersect in one place: a narrow window where negotiation could still matter — or where. if the conversation slips. the next strike could arrive before anyone has time to catch their breath.

Marco Rubio Iran talks Donald Trump Strait of Hormuz NATO foreign ministers Netanyahu ceasefire nuclear deal Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Pakistan diplomacy