Marco Rubio on Iran Talks: ‘We Are Dealing With Radical Shiite Clerics’ Driven by ‘Pure Theology’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is negotiating with Iran’s leadership despite what he described as “radical Shiite clerics” who make political decisions based on “pure theology.”

Speaking Sunday in Munich, Germany, at the annual Munich Security Conference, Rubio addressed questions about U.S. strategy toward Tehran, ongoing diplomatic outreach, and the American military posture in the Middle East.

He characterized Iran’s ruling establishment as ideologically driven, stating, “We’re dealing with radical Shiite clerics… with people who make geopolitical decisions on the basis of pure theology.”

He added that past diplomatic efforts with Tehran have proven “complicated,” saying, “No one’s ever been able to do a successful deal with Iran, but we’re gonna try.”

Rubio noted that envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were traveling for what he described as “important meetings,” adding, “We’ll see how that turns out.”

He also emphasized that any potential agreement would adhere to U.S. legal requirements. 

“We’ll always comply with the applicable laws of the United States in terms of involving Congress in any decisions,” Rubio said, adding that “right now we’re not talking about any of that.”

Addressing concerns about U.S. forces in the Middle East, Rubio stressed that American deployments are defensive in nature.

“We are postured in the region for one simple reason, and that is that we understand that there could be threats to our forces in the region,” he said. “We’ve seen them be threatened in the past, and we want to make sure that we have sufficient capacity to defend them” if necessary.

He reiterated that the administration’s immediate focus remains diplomacy. 

“Right now we’re talking about negotiations. We are focused on negotiations,” he explained. “That’s what we’re focused on. The President has made that clear.”

Rubio added that any shift in approach would be transparent and consistent with U.S. law.

“If that changes, it will be obvious to everyone and obviously whatever the law requires us to do, we’ll do,” he stated.

The remarks underscore the administration’s dual-track strategy: signaling openness to negotiations while maintaining pressure on Iran over its regional activities and nuclear ambitions, backed by a strong military presence intended to deter potential threats.

Reports from Saturday indicate that President Donald Trump’s chief negotiators have warned that striking a “good” nuclear agreement with Tehran is historically “difficult to impossible.” 

Meanwhile, President Trump declared on Friday that regime change “would be the best thing that could happen” as he ordered additional U.S. forces into position ahead of renewed talks.

With Iran holding firm to its red lines and Washington increasing economic and military pressure, officials say the objective is deterrence first — plus readiness for escalation if necessary. 

As tensions persist across the Middle East, Rubio’s remarks underscore that the U.S. is willing to test diplomacy once more, even amid deep skepticism about Tehran’s intentions.