Washington, DC

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that Washington is receiving feelers through diverse channels regarding Tehran's willingness to hold talks, against the backdrop of widening fissures within the Iranian leadership.

Speaking to CNN, Rubio remarked, "We are receiving signals through multiple channels of Iran's desire to negotiate, but there is a growing split within the regime."

His assertions come against the backdrop of persistent military confrontations between the US and Iran. Washington has maintained that its targeted strikes are designed to degrade Tehran's military infrastructure, particularly assets tied to maritime assaults on commercial vessels transiting the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The top US diplomat further accused Tehran of leveraging the critical global shipping lane and called upon the international community to play a larger role in securing maritime trade routes.

Interacting with journalists ahead of his departure to the Philippines for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' meeting, Rubio affirmed that while the US will persist with operations to safeguard maritime transit, international allies must step up with hardware or financial assets to share the security burden.

"It's clear that Iran, at least some people in Iran, want to control the straits and hold that as leverage against the world," Rubio stated.

"The United States will do and continue to do what it needs to, to protect global shipping, but other countries need to begin to step up and provide, whether it's hardware or finances, to help carry that burden," he added.

Weighing in on the prospects of a diplomatic breakthrough, Rubio noted that Washington remains receptive to dialogue but emphasised that any prospective agreement must be credible and fully enforceable.

"I think we're always open to diplomacy. It has to be real. It has to be a deal that they're willing to live by," he said.

These comments coincide with the US aerial campaign entering its ninth consecutive night of strikes. Iranian state media detailed multi-city explosions along the southern coastline and inside the northwestern hub of Tabriz, signalling a broader geographical expansion of the military operation.

US President Donald Trump, upon returning to Washington after attending the FIFA World Cup final, stated that the latest round of retaliatory strikes honoured three American service members killed in the theatre of conflict. He further asserted that the operations remain focused on blocking Iran's path to a nuclear weapon.

"We hit them very hard again tonight," Trump said.

Rubio maintained that defensive military actions and diplomatic tracks could proceed concurrently, reiterating that the US continues to target a negotiated resolution.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a primary geopolitical flashpoint and serves as a vital global energy transit corridor through which a massive volume of international oil and gas supplies passes. Pointing to the sustainability of future accords, Rubio insisted that Tehran cannot expect an agreement to hold if it acts in violation of its core provisions.

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"They can't have an MOU that's alive if they're violating the terms of it," Rubio stated.

"What I will say is that the United States always remains open to a diplomatic solution. We've tried multiple times with Iran, and we'll continue to try," he said.