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Nazrin Abdul

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that reaching a new agreement with Iran will be challenging, citing deep ideological differences between Washington and Tehran, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

“Look, doing a deal with Iran is not easy,” Rubio told reporters during a joint press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Budapest. He argued that Iran’s leadership makes decisions based on religious doctrine rather than political pragmatism.

“Iran’s policies are driven by radical Shia clerics who make decisions on the basis of pure theology,” Rubio said. “That makes it difficult to negotiate.”

Despite the obstacles, Rubio confirmed that U.S. negotiators are already en route to the talks. He declined to predict the outcome but struck a cautiously optimistic tone. “We’ll see what happens,” he said. “We’re hopeful there’s a deal.”

The remarks come amid renewed efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intensify economic pressure on Tehran in a bid to push it toward accepting stricter limits on its nuclear program.

Earlier Monday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled resistance to mounting pressure, warning that Tehran would not accept what he described as “submission before threats.”

The exchange underscores the fragile state of diplomacy between the United States and Iran, with both sides projecting firm public positions even as negotiations loom.