Rubio Says a New Iran Deal Could Be Reached in Days, Even After Recent U.S. Strikes

In a surprisingly upbeat tone, Republican Senator Marco Rubio told reporters on Thursday that a fresh nuclear accord with Iran could be hammered out “within days,” even after the United States launched limited strikes against Iranian-backed targets in the Middle East.

Rubio, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the military action was aimed at deterring further aggression, not at derailing diplomatic talks. “The strikes are a response to immediate threats,” he explained, “but they do not erase the fact that a diplomatic solution is still very much possible.”

He added that senior officials in Washington have been quietly working behind the scenes, shuffling diplomatic decks and arranging high‑level phone calls. “If the parties are willing, the machinery can move fast,” Rubio noted, acknowledging that both sides have shown a flicker of openness in recent weeks.

Critics, however, warn that the timing is precarious. Some analysts argue that the recent airstrikes could harden Tehran’s stance, making any concessions harder to extract. “You can’t ignore the optics,” said a senior Middle‑East scholar at a think‑tank, “but politics often thrives on paradox – pressure and negotiation can go hand‑in‑hand.”

Rubio’s remarks come as the Biden administration pushes for a multilateral framework to replace the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which the former president withdrew from in 2018. While the White House has not formally confirmed a concrete timeline, officials have repeatedly hinted that they hope to restore some form of agreement before the summer.

Regardless of the diplomatic gymnastics, the Iranian leadership remains cautious. In a recent televised address, Iran’s foreign minister emphasized that any new deal must respect Iran’s sovereignty and provide economic relief. “We are not desperate for a bargain that compromises our national interests,” he said.

So, is a new deal really on the brink? Rubio seems to think so, urging both Washington and Tehran to keep the channels of communication open. "We’ve seen how quickly things can change," he concluded. "Let’s make sure we’re ready to seize the moment when it arrives."