Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested he was open to Iran maintaining a civil nuclear program and did not explicitly rule out allowing the Islamic Republic to enrich uranium itself, even as he expressed concern about such activity in an interview with The Free Press’ Bari Weiss on Wednesday.

“If Iran wants a civil nuclear program, they can have one just like many other countries in the world have one, meaning they can import enriched material,” Rubio told Weiss on the Free Press’ “Honestly” podcast. “But if they insist on enriching uranium themselves, then they will be the only country in the world that ‘doesn’t have a weapons program’ but is enriching,” he added. “I think that’s problematic.”

Rubio’s comments came as the Trump administration faces scrutiny over its mixed messaging amid ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran. 

Most notably, Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, suggested last week that the U.S. was willing to allow Iran to maintain some level of nuclear enrichment, as it did in the original 2015 nuclear deal. But he soon walked back his remarks and said the administration is instead demanding Iran eliminate its enrichment program entirely.

The lack of clarity has raised concerns among foreign policy hawks who opposed the deal brokered by the Obama administration that had allowed Iran to continue its uranium enrichment up to 3.67% — which critics viewed as a pathway to a nuclear weapon. Trump pulled out of the original deal during his first term.

Rubio, who opposed the first nuclear deal with Iran, did little to elucidate how renewed talks would help deliver a different agreement, even as he hinted at some subtle distinctions in his interview with The Free Press. 

“Without using the word dismantlement, and perhaps more subtly, the secretary pointed out that Iranian domestic enrichment remains the problem,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who specializes in Iran, told Jewish Insider. “We will have to wait and see if this problem is reflected both in the marching orders special envoy Witkoff has received as well as what are the contours of any technical framework offered by U.S. negotiators in Oman.”

Rubio also “reupped that the military option was on the table, but there is no clear timeline as to when such an option might enter the U.S.’ equation,” Ben Taleblu said.

“Suffice it to say that I do believe the United States has options, but we don’t want to ever get to that,” Rubio said of a possible military strike against Iran during the interview. “We really don’t.”

Rubio more broadly argued in favor of giving “peace every chance to succeed,” adding, “I don’t want to see a war. The president certainly doesn’t want to see one either.”

But he set low expectations for ultimately achieving a deal. 

“We’re a long ways away from any sort of agreement with Iran,” Rubio said. “We recognize it’s difficult and hard. Oftentimes, unfortunately, peace is. But we’re committed to achieving a peaceful outcome that’s acceptable to everyone. It may not be possible — we don’t know.”