Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that the U.S. is “always open to diplomacy” as Iran talks coincide with ongoing strikes against the Islamic Republic for violating the memorandum of understanding, but he underscored that there are deeply divided factions within Iran.
“It has to be real. It has to be a deal that they're willing to live by. Look, Iran a week ago was supposed to put out a statement saying that the Strait of Hormuz would be open that, they would no longer attack shipping, and instead of doing that, they attacked three ships,” he said.
The U.S. and Iran signed a ceasefire agreement in June, but then the Islamic Republic began striking cargo ships transiting in the Strait of Hormuz multiple times, which led to the deal essentially being thrown out.
“Their behavior has to change in order for ours to change,” Rubio added.
.@SecRubio: "You can't have an MOU that's alive if they're violating the terms... The U.S. always remains open to a diplomatic solution. We've tried multiple times with Iran and we'll continue to try... but their behavior is what we're responding to — and their behavior is… https://t.co/SIYaJOeAHK pic.twitter.com/qv4THvFqRg
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 20, 2026
“They can’t have an MOU that’s alive if they’re violating the terms of it,” the secretary continued, adding that “their behavior is what we’re responding to.”
“If the door opens to diplomacy […] that’ll be a very positive development. That’s not where we are tonight unfortunately,” Rubio added, alluding to groups in Iran more serious about wanting to find an agreement with the U.S. than others, saying that ”within their own system there’s a growing split” between political factions.
He said that split is between “those that understand that their economy is in shambles and they need to do something or they're going to be in a lot of trouble very soon economically, domestically, and others who are very militant in their view of life and in their view of the world and continue to launch missiles.”
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“So they'll have to work out that split internally,” Rubio noted.
The United States has launched strikes against the Islamic Republic for nine straight days, according to CENTCOM.
“CENTCOM assets targeted Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks to further diminish Iran's ability to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM posted to X in a statement on Sunday night.
“The U.S. military is holding Iran accountable at the Commander in Chief's direction. CENTCOM forces remain highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready,” the statement continued.
A U.S. official told Townhall last week that American negotiators "continue to have multiple sets of conversations that have not stopped."
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