US aims to agree on memorandum of understanding with Iran

The United States expects to reach agreement with Iran on a memorandum of understanding, U.S. Secretary of State and Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Marco Rubio said.

"The operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation. We're not cheering for an additional situation to occur. We would prefer the path of peace," Rubio said.

According to him, what the President would prefer is a deal.

"He would prefer to sit down work out a memorandum of understanding for future negotiations that touches on all the key topics that have to be addressed, a full opening of the straits so the world can get back to normal," Rubio said.

He prefers that be negotiated through the route that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been working and that all of us have been supporting, Rubio noted.

The U.S. Secretary of State said that U.S. officials, including President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the U.S. president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, are working intensively to find a diplomatic solution to resolve the conflict with Iran.

"Iran must accept the reality of the situation, come to the negotiation table, and accept terms that are good for them, but ultimately good for the world. The diplomatic path, if there's a real diplomatic path, I'm not always going to be one, but if there's a real diplomatic path, and we continue to explore it, Steve and Jared are working on that very hard," Rubio said.

According to him, if there is one there, it could be one that leads them to reconstruction, to prosperity and to stability and to not posing a threat to the world.

He added that "the alternative is growing isolation, economic collapse and ultimately, total defeat."

"I know what the right choice is for Iran. I hope that the people over there making decisions will make the right one," Rubio said.