Rubio is repeating ‘drivel’, Iran’s foreign minister says

• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over remarks about Iran's economic pressure.
• Rubio said Iran would eventually have to reach a deal with Washington, commenting: "Eventually you have to eat!"
• Araghchi compared Rubio's remarks to comments made eight years ago by former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of repeating what he described as "drivel" after the American diplomat suggested that economic pressure would eventually push Tehran to negotiate a deal with Washington.

In a post on X, Araghchi responded to Rubio's remarks to reporters, in which he said: "Eventually you have to eat!" while discussing Iran's motivations for reaching an agreement with the United States.

"Eight years ago, a cartoon character like [former US Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo said Iranians must follow White House diktat 'if they want to eat'," Araghchi wrote.

"Today, Rubio, whose fellow Cubans are victims of the same policy, repeats that drivel," he added.

Araghchi's remarks referenced the longstanding US economic and trade embargo against Cuba, drawing a parallel between Washington's pressure on Tehran and its decades-long restrictions on Havana.

Rubio, whose parents are Cuban immigrants, has been a prominent supporter of maintaining pressure on the Cuban government.

The exchange comes amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran over negotiations and US economic restrictions on Iran.

The two sides remain at odds over the terms of a potential agreement, with Washington maintaining economic pressure while Tehran has repeatedly criticized what it describes as attempts to force concessions through sanctions.