Rubio welcomed the Europeans’ “snapback” of sanctions, long pushed by President Donald Trump, but said: “At the same time, the United States remains available for direct engagement with Iran — in furtherance of a peaceful, enduring resolution to the Iran nuclear issue.”
“Snapback does not contradict our earnest readiness for diplomacy, it only enhances it,” Rubio said in a statement.
France, Britain and Germany earlier Thursday triggered a mechanism to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran.
Earlier on Thursday, the United Kingdom, France and Germany handed over a letter to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) announcing their decision to activate the snapback mechanism against Iran despite Tehran prior warnings.