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From the Liveblog of
Sunday, May 24, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, May 24, 2026
Rubio to NYT: Iran deal can’t be reached ‘in 72 hours on the back of a napkin’
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United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at an event celebrating the United States' 250th anniversary, at the Bharat Mandapam convention center, in New Delhi, India, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
NEW DELHI, India — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio tells The New York Times that an agreement with Iran had garnered regional support, but a nuclear deal could not be achieved “in 72 hours on the back of a napkin.”
His comments come after US President Donald Trump told his negotiators “not to rush into a deal” with Iran to end the three-month war.
“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.
“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.
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