Rubio cites internal divisions, clerical rule as key obstacles to Iran deal
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said internal divisions within Iran’s leadership and the dominance of hardline clerics remain major impediments to reaching an agreement with Tehran.
Speaking to Fox News, Rubio described Iran as a system “run by radical Shia clerics,” adding that deepening fractures within its political structure have made negotiations more difficult.
He dismissed the common distinction between moderates and hardliners in Iran, arguing that “they’re all hardliners,” but said there are competing factions with different priorities.
According to Rubio, one group within the system—comprising political figures such as the president, foreign minister, and parliament speaker—recognizes the need to manage the economy and ensure basic governance.
In contrast, he said, more ideologically driven figures, including elements within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the leadership surrounding the supreme leader, are motivated primarily by theology and less concerned with economic realities.
“The hardliners that are motivated by theology… have the ultimate power in that country,” Rubio said, describing what he called a longstanding tension between pragmatic governance and ideological rigidity.
He added that the internal divide appears more pronounced now, pointing to uncertainty surrounding Ali Khamenei, whose “credibility is still untested” and whose public absence has raised questions about access and authority.
Rubio said the fragmented nature of Iran’s leadership complicates diplomacy, as US negotiators must effectively contend with multiple centers of power.
“Our negotiators aren’t just negotiating with the Iranians,” he said. “Those Iranians then have to negotiate with other Iranians” to determine what positions they can ultimately agree to.