Rubio Says Any Iran Sanctions Relief Requires Nuclear Concessions

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's negotiating team has not offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and insisted instead that any sanctions relief was tied to Tehran giving up its nuclear program. Any sanctions relief is condition-based, which means it has to be in return for the reason why those sanctions were put in place in the first place, which is their nuclear program. If they agree to give up those things, there will be sanctions relief associated with their commitment and compliance with those agreements. This was the first time Rubio has publicly testified in Congress since the Iran war began, and comes as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been increasingly questioning the war as it enters its fourth month. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the foreign relations panel, blasted Rubio for failing to provide information to Congress about the administration's plans. You sent Congress a war powers notification saying we are not in active hostilities with Iran, while the U.S. was conducting strikes against Iran and Iran was bombing U.S. embassies and bases throughout the Middle East. That was not consultation. It was an attempt to avoid answering to this committee and this Congress about this war. Iran wants an interim agreement with sanctions relief that would allow it access to billions of dollars in oil revenue. But Washington has continued to add sanctions against Iranian actors while talks have taken place. Americans, meanwhile, have voiced mounting frustration over rising prices. And Trump's fellow Republicans hope he can get the Strait of Hormuz reopened to lower U.S. gas prices before November's elections, which will decide whether the party retains its slim majorities in Congress. For more UN videos visit www.un.org