U.S. Secretary of State: U.S. and Iran Still in Talks, Timing of Agreement Uncertain

WASHINGTON, June 3 (Xinhua) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a June 2 hearing that the United States remains in ongoing negotiations with Iran but is uncertain when a formal agreement could be finalized. This marks Pompeo’s first congressional testimony since the U.S. and Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Iran in late February. When asked by lawmakers about the progress of U.S.-Iran talks, Pompeo confirmed the two sides are in discussions, noting Iran has agreed to negotiate over certain aspects of its nuclear program—a notable shift from just a month or even a year ago, when Tehran refused to engage in such talks at all. He added that a potential deal could be reached as soon as today, tomorrow, or next week, but stressed there is no guarantee a final agreement acceptable to Congress will actually materialize. Pompeo also clarified that the U.S. has never proposed lifting sanctions on Iran or unfreezing its frozen funds as a condition for reopening access to the Strait of Hormuz. “This has never been discussed or proposed,” he said, emphasizing that any sanction relief must be conditional: specifically, Iran must address the core issue that prompted the sanctions in the first place: its nuclear program.