US Ready for Direct Talks with Iran on Nuclear Issue: Rubio

The US administration remains ready for direct engagement with Iran to resolve differences over Tehran's nuclear program, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

"The United States remains available for direct engagement with Iran – in furtherance of a peaceful, enduring resolution to the Iran nuclear issue," Rubio’s statement reads.

He recalled that earlier today France, Germany, and the UK launched the process of reinstating sanctions against Tehran. "Snapback does not contradict our earnest readiness for diplomacy, it only enhances it. I urge Iranian leaders to take the immediate steps necessary to ensure that their nation will never obtain a nuclear weapon; to walk the path of peace; and to, by extension, advance prosperity for the Iranian people," Rubio stressed.

Earlier, the UK, Germany, and France initiated the snapback process after negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program collapsed. The foreign ministers of the three countries said in a joint statement that the E3 nations had notified the UN Security Council of their intention.