At the Paris talks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told G7 ministers Washington would sustain economic pressure on Iran, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing four G7 diplomats.
President Donald Trump said Nov. 9 he planned to hold off on new strikes against Iran for now after an appeal from Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. Trump also said he planned to keep the naval blockade aimed at Iran in effect in the Strait of Hormuz for now.
The diplomats said Rubio viewed sanctions as constraining Tehran’s ability to fund activities across the region and proxy groups. He portrayed continued economic pressure as a way to avoid restarting the war or accepting Iran’s demands, which Washington considers unacceptable.
Sheikh Mohammed’s stop in Paris was not on the schedule, Reuters reported, after he met Trump in Washington. Two European diplomats told Reuters the Qatari prime minister believed negotiations could still settle the crisis.
