US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that the United States will not allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon, accusing Tehran of being responsible for the "instability" in the Middle East.

In an interview with Fox News aired yesterday evening, Thursday, Rubio said: "The Iranians should be happy that the president of the most powerful country in the world is a peacemaker who seeks to prevent wars, end them, and stop ongoing conflicts."

The US Secretary of State accused the Iranian regime of being "behind every problem in the region... Such a regime cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. President Trump has made it clear that they will not have a nuclear weapon."

These statements come as both Tehran and Washington seek a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, having held several indirect rounds of talks that have been largely optimistic in tone.