By Staff Reporter
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that President Donald Trump will not accept a weak nuclear agreement with Iran, as negotiations between Washington and Tehran continue amid rising tensions across the Middle East.
Speaking on Saturday, Rubio said a “pretty solid” proposal was currently on the table but stressed that Trump was determined to avoid repeating what Republicans have long criticised as the failures of previous Iran deals.
“President Trump is not going to make a bad deal,” Rubio said, adding that the White House remained cautious despite reports suggesting progress in the negotiations.
The comments come as Trump reportedly instructed his negotiating team not to rush into an agreement, signalling that the administration wants stricter conditions before any final breakthrough with Tehran.
Officials in Washington have indicated that talks could still take several days before any formal announcement is made. The White House has maintained a guarded tone amid concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme, regional security and ongoing instability linked to the conflict involving Israel and Iran-backed groups.
Global markets reacted positively to hopes of easing tensions in the region, with Japan’s stock market surging to record highs on expectations that a wider regional war could be avoided if diplomacy succeeds.
Meanwhile, violence continued elsewhere in the Middle East. Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon reportedly killed at least two people and wounded 10 others in the town of Arab Salim, according to local officials.
At the same time, eight Arab and Muslim countries issued a joint condemnation of far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over the alleged abuse of activists linked to a Gaza-bound flotilla.
The latest developments highlight the fragile state of diplomacy in the region, where efforts to secure a US-Iran agreement are unfolding alongside continuing military escalation and growing international pressure for restraint.
