U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on the 2nd (local time) that easing sanctions on Iran depends on whether Iran abandons its nuclear program, not on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Minister Rubio said at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing held that morning, "Iran was sanctioned because it possessed highly enriched uranium and engaged in nuclear activity," adding, "If they put those things down, there will be sanctions relief tied to their promises and implementation."
In response to the question, "So you will not offer sanctions relief in return for reopening the Strait of Hormuz," Minister Rubio said, "That has not been discussed or proposed."
He also said, "Any sanctions relief is conditional," emphasizing that because Iran was sanctioned over its nuclear program, only abandoning it would make sanctions relief possible.
Recently, the United States and Iran were reported to be pushing to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) centered on ending the war, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and conducting nuclear talks for 60 days. But critics in the United States called it a "shoddy deal."
Minister Rubio's latest remarks are seen as an attempt to allay concerns by making clear that economic reciprocal measures such as sanctions relief are tied only to abandoning the nuclear program.
Minister Rubio said Iran "agreed to negotiate on aspects of the nuclear program," adding, "For the first time in my memory, as recently as a month ago, even a year ago, they refused to even mention it."
Minister Rubio stressed that the U.S. war against Iran brought about these discussions, saying, "We have a chance to succeed (in the negotiations). That could happen today, it could happen tomorrow, it could happen next week."
ABC reported that President Trump, in a phone interview with the network the previous day, when asked about the timing of an agreement on the end-of-war memorandum of understanding (MOU), said, "I think within the next week you'll be talking about it."
Minister Rubio said, "If Iran acquires nuclear weapons, they are fully capable of using them," noting that because Iran's decision-making system is a theocracy, nuclear use is possible, and added, "The problem is that at the point (of possessing nukes) they effectively gain impunity, the means available against them become very limited, and they can hold the world hostage."
He went on to say that absent a preemptive strike by the United States and Israel, Iran was assessed to be on the verge of actually acquiring nuclear weapons, which would mean it becomes "a presence like North Korea, worse," because "it has more money than North Korea."
Minister Rubio said, "At that point they would decide that the Strait of Hormuz belongs to them forever and that every country must pay tolls." He argued that war was inevitable to stop Iran from using nuclear weapons to hold the international community hostage, support terrorist groups, and attack Israel.
Minister Rubio explained that one reason a war-ending agreement with Iran is taking longer than expected is "their internal system is somewhat fractured," adding, "It takes days to get answers from their system."
He added, "Negotiations with Iran are not like negotiations with Switzerland. They are very different. Unfortunately, mediators are needed."
Minister Rubio said that, based on multiple pieces of information, Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was "reportedly seriously injured in the attack," but added, "I think there are signs that he is still alive."
Minister Rubio said, "Given what has happened to several leaders within that regime, it would not be encouraged internally for (Khamenei) to appear in public," adding, "Although his communications are being conducted in writing and through intermediaries, there are indications he is increasingly involved, to some extent, in (state decision-making)."
Iran's former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was confirmed to have been killed by a U.S. airstrike on Feb. 28, the day the war began, and his son, Mojtaba, was reportedly seriously injured at the time. Mojtaba later succeeded him as supreme leader, but has yet to appear in public or release an audio statement.
Minister Rubio appeared at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing that afternoon and said China's military support for Iran had not been enough to hamper U.S. forces or change the battlefield. The State Department recently sanctioned three entities in China that provided satellite imagery to support Iran's military attacks.
Minister Rubio also said that ahead of the North and Central America (U.S.-Mexico-Canada) World Cup starting this month, he would ensure that figures linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps cannot slip into the Iranian delegation.
This was Minister Rubio's first public appearance at a congressional hearing since the Iran war. Democratic lawmakers challenged the legitimacy of the Iran war and pressed Minister Rubio to disclose information transparently about the progress of negotiations.
During the hearing, protesters stormed in and denounced Minister Rubio as a "war criminal."