US Secretary of State says in the Senate that penalty relief is linked to the end of the nuclear program
The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated, this Tuesday (June 2, 2026), that the president’s negotiating team (Republican Party) did not offer a reduction in sanctions to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. According to the representative, any relief in penalties is conditional on the abandonment of the Iranian nuclear program. The information is from the news agency .
The statement was made during a hearing at the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It was Rubio’s first public testimony before Congress since the start of the war with Iran.
“So far, everything that has been discussed with them [Irã] is that any sanctions relief is conditional, meaning it needs to be in exchange for the reason these sanctions were imposed in the first place, which is your nuclear program.”said Rubio.
The secretary said that the Trump administration considers it necessary to condition any relief in penalties on the abandonment of these activities.
“Iran is being sanctioned because of uranium enrichment. Iran is being sanctioned because of its nuclear activities. If they agree to abandon those activities, there will be sanctions relief associated with their commitment and compliance with those agreements”said Rubio.
Iran of around 440 kg of uranium enriched to 60%. Experts point out that the country would need a few weeks to reach the 90% level. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty establishes a 20% limit for activities with civil purposes.
On May 12, the Iranian government which would evaluate the enrichment of uranium to 90% purity, a level sufficient for the production of nuclear warheads, if the United States resumes military attacks in the conflict.
