Iran’s supreme leader appears more active as talks continue: US’s Rubio

Key Takeaways

• Addressing US lawmakers, Rubio said Tehran has agreed to discuss previously off-limits aspects of its nuclear programme.
• United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appears to be taking a more active role as negotiations between the two countries continue following an April 8 truce.
• Testifying before the US’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, Rubio said there are signs that Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since US air strikes killed his father and predecessor on the first day of the war, is alive and more deeply engaged in the country’s affairs.
• “I think there are indications out there that he is increasingly engaging at some level, although all of his communications have been in writing and through intermediaries,” said the US’s top diplomat.
• Rubio’s remarks come as Tehran is reviewing the latest version of a US proposal aimed at ending the war, which US President Donald Trump reportedly tightened the terms of in recent days.