New delhi: Iran has accused US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of "attempting" to "distort realities," dismissing his statements regarding global energy markets and Tehran's nuclear program during his ongoing visit to India. The Iranian Embassy in India issued a statement on Sunday condemning Rubio's remarks, labeling them as efforts to misrepresent regional realities and shift focus from the disruptive actions of the United States and its ally, Israel.

According to Anadolu Agency, Rubio asserted on Saturday that the United States would prevent Iran from holding the energy market "hostage" and emphasized that Tehran must never possess a nuclear weapon. The Iranian Embassy countered by arguing that it is the US-imposed sanctions on Iran's oil exports that have been undermining the global energy market. These sanctions, as per the statement, contravene international law and the United Nations Charter, aimed at applying economic pressure on Iran.

The statement further criticized the United States and Israel, accusing them of being primary contributors to global security and energy crises, using instability to further their political and military agendas. In response to Rubio's comments on Iran's nuclear ambitions, Tehran reaffirmed its commitment as a signatory of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, insisting that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes and remains under the scrutiny of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iran emphasized its right to peacefully use nuclear science and technology, describing it as an indisputable right that it will not forgo. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, after discussions with regional leaders, announced on Saturday that an agreement with Iran to conclude the conflict that started on February 28 was "largely negotiated" and is close to being finalized.