U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio has publicly avoided commenting on President Donald Trump’s new understanding with Iran, even as his body language at Trump’s announcement in France drew attention. During the press appearance after the G7 summit, Rubio stood behind Trump with a closed, visibly angry and sad expression, prompting widespread reaction online.
According to U.S. reports, Rubio privately opposed the initial peace framework in its current form. He based his objections on intelligence assessments saying the odds of Tehran giving up its nuclear ambitions are very slim. While Rubio stayed silent in public after the memorandum of understanding was announced, the agreement itself grants Iran immediate relief through the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade on its ports and a resumption of trade.
In return, Iran has only agreed in principle not to develop nuclear weapons, and to refrain from collecting tolls in the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days. The technically difficult talks on dismantling the nuclear program were postponed to a later stage, with no guarantee of success. Social media users sympathized with Rubio, with one post saying, “We know what you are going through and pray for you.” Others said they had never seen him look so grim.
Trump joked about Vice President JD Vance, who led the negotiations and is expected to sign the deal in Switzerland this week. “If it works, I’ll take the credit,” Trump said. “If it doesn’t work, I blame JD. You’d better be careful, JD!” Rubio’s absence from the administration’s public sales effort has drawn heavy diplomatic attention, since he is seen as the chief architect of current foreign policy. Vance has become the face of the deal, which is dividing Republicans, and his aides see Rubio as his main future rival for the presidential nomination. In a CBS interview, Vance defended the agreement, said some critics simply want the bombing to continue, and rejected calls to send U.S. troops to Iran. Analysts say the Iran issue is likely to shape U.S. politics for months, possibly into the midterm election campaign.
