“The hope is it’s something that can put us into a serious process of negotiation,” he said. “I hope it’s a serious offer, I really do.”
He also said it was unacceptable for Iran to claim ownership and right to control the Strait of Hormuz, which serves as a critical passage for global oil shipping, AFP reported.
“Iran now claims that they own, that they have a right to control, an international waterway…That’s an unacceptable thing that they’re trying to normalise,” he reportedly said.
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Equity markets around the world surged mid-week on May 6 when Axios broke the news on the latest peace deal, adding that the US had high hopes on the memo to end the two-month-long war.
Rubio also appears to have made amends with the pope after US President Donald Trump clashed with the Catholic leader who criticised US’ escalating military action in Iran.
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Trump responded by accusing Pope Leo of “endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people” by opposing the war, and falsely claimed the pope was fine with Iran having nuclear weapons. Pope Leo rejected the accusation, saying the church has always opposed nuclear weapons and that he was only calling for peace and dialogue over war.
Rubio, during the private audience, explained the US “point of view” and “danger that Iran poses to the world.”
“It’s important to share our points of view and an explanation and an understanding of where we’re coming from. And I thought it was very positive,” he told reporters in Rome.
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(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
First Published: May 8, 2026 7:33 PM IST
