NEW DELHI, May 25, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told The New York Times on Sunday that an agreement with Iran had garnered regional support but a nuclear deal couldn't be achieved "in 72 hours on the back of a napkin."

His comments came after US President Donald Trump told his negotiators "not to rush into a deal" with Iran to end the three-month war.

"We're not kicking it till later. Nuclear talks are highly technical matters. You can't do a nuclear thing in 72 hours on the back of a napkin," Rubio told the Times in a brief interview.

"So right now, we have seven or eight countries in the region that are endorsing this approach, and we're prepared to move forward on this approach," he said.