US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday said diplomacy remains Washington's preferred option to resolve the Iran conflict, while warning that the crisis cannot continue indefinitely. He also said the "problem needs to be solved one way or the other."
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Rubio avoided confirming whether a US strike on Iran was imminent, saying he would not “characterise it in terms of a timeframe”.
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“What's happening now cannot become the status quo and it cannot go on forever. At some point, there has to be a resolution to this problem,” he told NDTV.
Reiterating the US position, Mr Rubio said Iran must not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon.
His remarks come amid continuing negotiations between the United States and Iran, with Pakistan reportedly acting as a mediator.
#NDTVExclusive | "Iran war can't go on forever": US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) to @VishnuNDTV pic.twitter.com/ThOBctEi4Y
— NDTV (@ndtv) May 23, 2026
Despite multiple rounds of engagement, both sides have so far remained unwilling to accept a final agreement.
Speculation over possible American military action intensified after US President Donald Trump abruptly travelled to Washington DC on Friday, skipping his son's wedding and citing pressing matters amid reports of a fragile ceasefire in the region.
During the interview, Mr Rubio also raised concerns over Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Tehran of threatening commercial shipping routes.
“It is illegal. They are threatening and have fired upon commercial vessels. It is unlawful under any mechanism for a country to take international waterways and turn it into theirs and charge a toll for it,” he said.
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The US Secretary of State added that President Trump wants both the Iran nuclear issue and the Strait of Hormuz dispute resolved through negotiations.
“Even as I speak to you now, there's work being done in that regard. That is our preference. This problem needs to be solved one way or the other. We would prefer it to be through diplomacy,” he said.
Speaking about Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium, Mr Rubio claimed the material could technically be removed with ease, but alleged that Tehran has refused to discuss the matter.
Mr Rubio is currently on a four-day visit to India and earlier met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, where the two leaders discussed developments in the Middle East among other bilateral issues.
He is also scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday.
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