US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has asserted that Iran is now willing to negotiate aspects of its nuclear program, a significant shift from its previous stance just a month ago. This announcement comes as Iran declared it would halt peace talks and move to fully close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil trade. During a Senate foreign relations committee meeting, Rubio outlined a two-phase negotiation framework. The first phase requires Iran to reopen the strait without charging tolls and to commit to not attacking ships. The second phase would involve Iran disposing of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and agreeing to severe limitations on its enrichment activities. Rubio firmly stated that any sanctions relief would be conditional on Iran's nuclear actions, rejecting the notion of offering concessions merely to reopen the strait. He also claimed that Iran's military capabilities have been substantially degraded, although this assertion has been challenged by various analysts who note that Iran retains a significant portion of its missile stockpile.