Rubio says Iran must give up nuclear enrichment in any deal with the US

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview released Wednesday that Iran must give up all nuclear enrichment if it wants to make a deal during talks with the Trump administration and head off the threat of armed conflict.

Iran insists its nuclear program is for civilian energy use and says it does not seek to make weapons-grade uranium to build atomic bombs.

“If Iran wants a civil nuclear program, they can have one just like many other countries can have one, and that is they import enriched material,” Rubio said in a podcast interview with journalist Bari Weiss.

But Iran has long refused to give up its ability to enrich uranium. President Donald Trump in his first term pulled the U.S. out of a Obama-era nuclear deal focused on monitoring to ensure Iran did not move toward weapons-grade enrichment.

In the first months of his second term, Trump opened talks that he says will get a tougher agreement on Iran's nuclear program, with a second round of negotiations held Saturday and technical-level talks expected this weekend. Iran wants the easing of sanctions that have damaged its economy and is facing threatened Israeli or U.S. strikes aimed at disabling its nuclear program by force.

"I would tell anyone we’re a long ways from any sort of agreement with Iran," Rubio noted. “It may not be possible, we don't know ... but we would want to achieve a peaceful resolution to this and not resort to anything else."

With the region already embroiled in war, he said that “any military action at this point in the Middle East, whether it’s against Iran by us or anybody else, could in fact trigger a much broader conflict.”

Although Trump "reserves every right to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, he’d prefer peace,” Rubio added.

Trump's lead representative in the recently revived talks, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, initially suggested the U.S. was open to allowing Iran to continue low-level uranium enrichment.

Many American conservatives and Israel, which wants Iran's nuclear facilities destroyed, objected. Witkoff issued what the Trump administration described as a clarification, saying, “Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded that his country must be able to enrich. “The core issue of enrichment itself is not negotiable,” he said.

Standard international agreements for civilian nuclear programs have the U.S. and international community help governments develop nuclear power for energy and other peaceful uses in exchange for them swearing off making their own nuclear fuel, because of the threat that capacity could be used for weapons.

Also Wednesday, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran has agreed to allow in a technical team from the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency in coming days to discuss restoring camera surveillance at nuclear sites and other issues.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, speaking to reporters in Washington after meeting with Iranian officials in Tehran last week, said that while the move was not directly linked to the U.S. talks, it was an encouraging sign of Iran’s willingness to reach terms in a potential deal.

Iranian leaders were engaged “with a sense of trying to get to an agreement," Grossi said. “That is my impression.”

After Trump exited the nuclear deal with world powers in 2018, Iran responded by curtailing monitoring by the IAEA at nuclear sites. It has pressed ahead on enriching and stockpiling uranium that is closer to weapons-grade levels, the agency says.

The IAEA is not playing a direct role in the new talks, and Trump's Republican administration has not asked it to, Grossi told reporters.

But when it comes to ensuring Iranian compliance with any deal, he said, “this will have to be verified by the IAEA.”

“I cannot imagine how you could put ... a corps of invented international or national inspectors to inspect Iran” without having the agency's decades of expertise, he said. “I think it would be problematic and strange.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on upon his arrival at the Quai d'Orsay, France's Minister of Foreign Affairs before a bilateral meeting with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Julien de Rosa, Pool via AP)

In this photo released by the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi, rear center, and his delegation attend a meeting with head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami, foreground right, and his delegation in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran via AP)

In this photo, released by the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi, center, attends a meeting with head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran via AP)

In this photo released by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi, center, listens to head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami as he visits an exhibition of Iran's nuclear achievements, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran via AP)

In this photo released by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi, center, visits an exhibition of Iran's nuclear achievements, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran via AP)

In this photo released by the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi attends a meeting with the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran via AP)

BERLIN (AP) — Martin Terrier scored a contender for goal of the season as Bayer Leverkusen defeated local rival Cologne 2-0 in their 73rd Bundesliga derby on Saturday.

Arthur’s cross from the right was behind Terrier, but the French forward dropped down and looped the ball in over Cologne goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe with the back of his heel to break the deadlock in the 66th minute.

Robert Andrich headed in from Aleix Garcia’s corner six minutes later to seal the win.

Leverkusen was without key players Patrik Schick and Álex Grimaldo but still boasted enough talent to create the greater chances against the visitors, who had injury-enforced absences of their own.

The win kept Leverkusen in fourth place, the last for Champions League qualification.

Ritsu Doan scored for Eintracht Frankfurt to end its four-game winless run across all competitions with a 1-0 win over Augsburg.

The Japan forward took the ball past two Augsburg defenders and unleashed his shot before he was closed down by two more. The deflection from a retreating defender took the ball beyond Finn Dahmen in the Augsburg goal in the 68th minute, setting off relief-tinged celebrations around the stadium.

Noahkai Banks briefly spoiled the mood when he equalized late, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR check. It was the second goal that was ruled out for offside for the visitors in the game.

Frankfurt lost narrowly at Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, after it was routed 6-0 at home by Leipzig in its previous game.

“The lads tried with all they had left in the tank,” Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmöller said of his team's busy schedule. “They were lacking that bit of freshness. It's been a grueling six months.”

St. Pauli overcame a harsh sending off to end its 10-game winless run with a 2-1 victory over relegation rival Heidenheim.

Pauli had Eric Smith sent off before the break when referee Sören Storks penalized him for a foul on Marvin Pieringer as the last defender, though TV replays showed the Heidenheim forward made the most of light contact and threw himself to the ground. There was no VAR intervention.

Martijn Kaars had already put Pauli ahead, and he stunned the visitors by scoring the second against the run of play early the second half.

Pieringer pulled one back later, but Pauli held on for its third league win of the season.

Wolfsburg’s revival under interim coach Daniel Bauer continued with a 3-1 win at Borussia Mönchengladbach. It stretched the team’s unbeaten run to three games.

Hoffenheim defeated promoted Hamburger SV 4-1 for its fourth straight home win.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Leverkusen's Martim Terrier celebrates after he scored the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and 1.FC Cologne in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Leverkusen's Martim Terrier celebrates after he scored the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and 1.FC Cologne in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

St. Pauli's Martijn Kaars celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC St. Pauli and 1. FC Heidenheim in Hamburg, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Marcus Brandt/dpa via AP)

Frankfurt's head coach Dino Toppmoeller, left, gives instructions during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Augsburg in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)

Frankfurt's Rasmus Kristensen celebrates at the end of the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Augsburg in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)

Frankfurt's Ritsu Doan, left, and Augsburg's Han-Noah Massengo, right, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Augsburg in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)

Frankfurt's Ritsu Doan celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Augsburg in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)