Rubio says US will only provide sanctions relief to Iran in exchange for nuclear concessions

Rubio says US will only provide sanctions relief to Iran in exchange for nuclear concessions US  Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that  Iran  would only receive sanctions relief if it surrenders its nuclear programme, brushing aside Tehran’s demands to obtain economic relief as part of a phased ceasefire. "Iran is being sanctioned because they've highly enriched uranium. Iran is being sanctioned because of their nuclear activities; if they agree to give up those things, there will be sanctions relief,” Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday. “They have to agree on negotiating severe and long-term limitations and/or cancellation of enrichment activity,” he said. Rubio said that Iran was now negotiating over aspects of its nuclear programme that it had previously not considered, but did not provide any details. Iran said on Friday that “no negotiations" were taking place over its nuclear programme.  Read more:  Rubio says US will only provide sanctions relief to Iran in exchange for nuclear concessions US Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing concerning the fiscal year 2027 budget for the State Department, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on 2 June 2026 (Brendan Smialowski/AFP)

Original source: Middle East Eye