'US open to Iran talks at UN but no meeting scheduled yet', says Marco Rubio

The United States is open to talks with Iranian officials on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday, but stressed that no meeting had been scheduled yet as Washington and Tehran signalled a tentative willingness to revive diplomacy amid their continuing conflict.

“We’re open to that. I don’t think anything is scheduled at this point, but we’re certainly open to something like that, especially if it has the prospects of leading to something positive and ultimately achieving the goal of what this is all about,” Rubio said in an interview with NBC’s Today show.

Rubio said the central US objective remained preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, making clear that Washington’s willingness to engage did not amount to a change in its position on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Diplomatic opening at UN

Rubio’s remarks came as senior Iranian officials arrived in New York for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reached the city Monday, while President Masoud Pezeshkian left Tehran for New York Tuesday.

Iranian officials have indicated that Araghchi will hold consultations with several foreign ministers and officials during the UN gathering. However, neither Washington nor Tehran had announced a formal bilateral meeting as of Tuesday.

The possibility of direct engagement has nevertheless attracted attention because it comes amid nearly seven months of conflict and repeated attempts by intermediaries to reopen diplomatic channels.

Rubio said there was value in engagement if it could produce tangible results, while reiterating that any diplomatic process would have to address Washington’s concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Trump raises prospect of deal

The possibility of talks emerged even as President Donald Trump used his UN General Assembly address Tuesday to call for the economic isolation of Iran and again insisted that Tehran would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Trump said he believed an agreement with Iran could eventually be reached, although his remarks offered no indication that an immediate breakthrough was imminent.

The contrasting messages — tougher economic pressure coupled with an openness to talks — underscored Washington’s attempt to maintain pressure on Tehran while leaving a diplomatic channel available.

Iran, too, has indicated a willingness to explore negotiations, although deep differences remain between the two countries over sanctions, the nuclear programme and the wider military confrontation.

Nuclear issue remains central

Rubio said preventing a nuclear-armed Iran remained the fundamental objective of any potential negotiations. The Iranian nuclear programme has remained at the centre of tensions, with questions continuing over Tehran’s enriched uranium stockpile and international monitoring of its nuclear activities.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has raised concerns over its ability to fully account for parts of Iran’s nuclear programme after losing continuity of knowledge over some activities and material.

Despite the sharp differences, the presence of senior American and Iranian officials in New York has created an opportunity for diplomatic contacts, either directly or through intermediaries.

For now, however, Rubio made clear that Washington’s willingness to talk remained just that — an opening rather than a scheduled negotiation.