US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday (February 15) expressed optimism about reaching a deal with Iran, despite acknowledging that no previous attempts have been successful.
"No one's ever been able to do a successful deal with Iran but we're going to try," Rubio said during a news conference in Bratislava.
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An Iranian diplomat on Sunday confirmed that Iran is pursuing a nuclear agreement with the U.S. that delivers economic benefits for both sides, days before a second round of talks between Tehran and Washington.
Iran and the U.S. renewed negotiations earlier this month to tackle their decades-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme and avert a new military confrontation. The U.S. has dispatched a second aircraft carrier to the region and is preparing for the possibility of a sustained military campaign if the talks do not succeed, U.S. officials have told Reuters.
Rubio said President Donald Trump had made it clear that he would prefer diplomacy and a negotiated settlement, while making clear that may not happen.
Iran has threatened to strike U.S. bases in the Middle East if it is attacked by U.S. forces but on Sunday took a conciliatory line.
