‘Some progress, not there yet’: Rubio credits Pakistan, Qatar as US-Iran talks intensify
Marco Rubio said there has been "some progress" in US-Iran talks and called Pakistan the "primary interlocutor", with Field Marshal Asim Munir travels to Tehran.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said there had been “some progress” in talks with Iran, but stressed that the United States and Iran were “not there yet” as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict continued to intensify.
“There’s been some progress. I wouldn’t exaggerate it. I wouldn’t diminish it,” Rubio told reporters after a meeting of NATO ministers in Sweden. “There’s more work to be done. We’re not there yet. I hope we get there.”
The ongoing talks come nearly six weeks after a fragile ceasefire paused direct hostilities between Iran and the United States, though tensions in the region remain high.
Pakistan emerges as key mediator
The negotiations are mainly focused on Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and control over the Strait of Hormuz, whose closure since the war began has triggered a global energy crisis.
Rubio also praised Pakistan’s role in the talks, saying Islamabad had become the “primary interlocutor” between Washington and Tehran. “Pakistan has done an admirable job,” Rubio said, adding that Field Marshal Asim Munir could travel to Iran soon as part of ongoing mediation efforts. “We are in constant communication with him at the highest level of our government,” he added.
SECRETARY RUBIO on IRAN NEGOTIATIONS: The primary interlocutor on this has been Pakistan and they’ve done an admirable job. We’ve been working with them on all of this and that will remain the case. pic.twitter.com/5FdAcrpwvF
According to Reuters, Pakistani Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi also held another round of talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Tehran this week as diplomatic channels remained active.
Qatar joins diplomatic push
Meanwhile, Qatar has also stepped up diplomatic efforts, sending a negotiating team to Tehran to help bridge differences between the two sides. According to Reuters, the Qatari team has been working in coordination with the United States.
US warns Iran over Strait of Hormuz
Rubio reiterated Washington’s opposition to Iran’s proposed tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz, calling the idea “unacceptable”. “We’re dealing with a very difficult group of people, and if it doesn’t change, then the president’s been clear he has other options,” Rubio warned.
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US-Iran War · Explainer
Pakistan emerges as 'primary interlocutor' in US-Iran talks
Rubio credits Islamabad and Qatar after a NATO meeting in Sweden; Field Marshal Asim Munir's Tehran trip raises the stakes for India.
The mediators
Two channels, one goal
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday publicly named Pakistan as the "primary interlocutor" between Washington and Tehran, with Qatar working in parallel. The dual-track mediation marks the most explicit American acknowledgement yet of Islamabad's role in the conflict.
"Pakistan has done an admirable job."
— Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, May 22, 2026
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Pakistan (primary channel)
Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, has departed for Tehran, IRNA reported, citing a senior diplomatic source in Islamabad.
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Qatar (parallel track)
A Qatari negotiating team is in Tehran working in coordination with Washington to bridge differences, Reuters reported.
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The setting
Rubio's remarks came after a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Sweden on May 22.
The sticking points
Uranium and Hormuz
Two issues dominate the talks: what happens to Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile, and whether Tehran can impose tolls on vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
US position
Wants Iran's highly enriched uranium handed over. Rejects any Hormuz tolling system as "unacceptable."
Iran position
Proposes downblending uranium itself. Has set up a Persian Gulf Strait Authority to administer Hormuz transit.
"There's been some progress. I wouldn't exaggerate it. I wouldn't diminish it. We're not there yet."
— Marco Rubio, after the NATO meeting in Sweden
★
Downblending, explained
The process of mixing highly enriched uranium with depleted uranium to render it unusable for weapons.
⚠
"Other options"
Rubio warned that if Iran's position does not shift, Trump "has other options" — standard US diplomatic phrasing for potential military action.
The India stake
Why this matters in New Delhi
Pakistan being publicly designated the primary US-Iran channel is a diplomatic setback for India, which has spent a decade building its own West Asia architecture. The Ministry of External Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
85%
Share of India's crude that is imported
10
Years: India's Chabahar terminal contract, signed May 2024
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Chabahar exposure
India operates the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Iran's Chabahar port. Any US-Iran deal architecture brokered by a third party affects its sanctions waiver.
★
Jaishankar-Araghchi channel
India has maintained its own diplomatic line with Tehran, with regular ministerial-level engagement.
⚠
The Munir factor
Munir is the architect of Pakistan's military posture against India and a central figure in the 2025 India-Pakistan stand-off. His elevation as US-Iran mediator is a notable diplomatic shift.
What happens next
Three things to watch
The next 72 hours will test whether the dual mediation can produce a framework. Three immediate flashpoints will tell the story.
→
Munir's landing in Tehran
Confirmation of arrival and the readout of his meetings with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
→
Iran's response to the US proposal
Tehran is preparing a formal response. Whether it accepts the handover of uranium or insists on domestic downblending is the central question.
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Qatar's readout
The Qatari delegation's return briefing to Washington will signal whether the parallel track is converging with the Pakistan channel or diverging.
Sources: US State Department briefing · IRNA · Reuters · Indian Express reporting. Updated May 22, 2026.
The uncertainty around the negotiations has continued to shake global markets, with oil prices rising and the US dollar strengthening amid fears that the conflict could further disrupt global energy supplies.
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