According to a report by The Times Of Israel on May 24, 2026, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said ongoing negotiations with Iran had received support from several countries in the Middle East, but stressed that reaching a nuclear agreement would require time and careful technical discussions. His remarks came shortly after US President Donald Trump instructed American negotiators “not to rush into a deal” aimed at ending the three-month conflict with Iran.
In a brief interview with The New York Times, Rubio dismissed suggestions that a nuclear agreement could be finalized quickly, emphasizing the complexity of the negotiations and the technical nature of the issues involved. He said the process could not be completed hastily despite increasing diplomatic engagement in the region.
“We’re not kicking it till later. Nuclear talks are highly technical matters. You can’t do a nuclear thing in 72 hours on the back of a napkin,” Rubio tells the Times in a brief interview.
Rubio also noted that multiple countries in the region had shown support for the diplomatic framework currently being discussed by Washington and Tehran. According to him, the United States was prepared to continue advancing the initiative with backing from regional partners.
“So right now, we have seven or eight countries in the region that are endorsing this approach, and we’re prepared to move forward on this approach,” he says.
The comments reflect the cautious pace of the ongoing talks as Washington weighs diplomatic efforts against growing pressure to secure a long-term arrangement with Tehran.