US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Wednesday in New York that the United States has extended an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the upcoming G20 summit.

He expressed hope that President Putin would accept this gesture and take the chance to interact directly with US President Donald Trump along with other global heads of state.

Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Secretary Rubio remarked that the US believes the G20 gathering serves as a valuable platform for President Putin to engage with leaders on important geopolitical issues.

He highlighted that if President Putin chooses to attend the summit scheduled for December, it could present a meaningful window for an interaction or a high-level meeting between the two leaders, provided there is a clear strategic purpose behind it.

Secretary Rubio further mentioned that the ideal scenario for any formal bilateral summit between President Trump and President Putin would be one that yields tangible outcomes and concrete results, which naturally necessitates extensive preparatory diplomatic work beforehand.

However, he added that even in the absence of a fully structured bilateral summit, President Putin's participation at the G20 in December would undoubtedly offer a critical opportunity for informal discussions and dialogue between the leadership of both nations.

Shifting focus to Middle East affairs during the press conference, Secretary Rubio firmly asserted that Iran must never be permitted to acquire or possess a nuclear weapon, identifying this objective as the absolute core of US foreign policy towards Tehran.

His statements followed extensive diplomatic discussions conducted a day earlier between the US delegation and Iranian representatives via key international mediators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff characterised those multi-lateral dialogue sessions as both constructive and promising for future diplomatic steps.

When asked about specific American demands in those discussions with Iranian intermediaries and whether discussions touched upon returning to a Memorandum of Understanding, Secretary Rubio declined to detail the private negotiations.

He maintained that the overriding imperative framing every conversation remains President Trump's firm position that Iran cannot achieve nuclear capabilities, and every secondary diplomatic maneuver emanates directly from that red line.

Turning to regional security and energy infrastructure, Secretary Rubio commented on the situation surrounding the critical maritime corridor of the Strait of Hormuz.

He confirmed that the southern lane of the strategic strait remains open and operational, allowing vital commercial crude oil shipments to pass through smoothly without major systemic disruption.

The US Secretary of State credited the active presence and operations of the United States military for keeping the trade route viable, noting that naval forces are actively defending commercial shipping lanes and neutralising naval mines.

He pointed out that the primary blockade currently operating in the Strait of Hormuz is the targeted restrictions imposed directly upon Iran as a direct response to Iranian forces continuously launching strikes against commercial vessels in the area.

Secretary Rubio disclosed that another strike targeting commercial shipping was launched from the region as recently as Wednesday morning, reaffirming that US naval assets will persistently continue their operations to defend international waters and guarantee free navigation.

ANI