Rubio says competing 'hardliner' factions in Iran complicating talks
Speaking to Fox News in an interview published on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that competing groups of "hardliners" in Iran are complicating stalled peace talks with the U.S.
"They're all hardliners in Iran. But there are hardliners who understand they have to run a country and an economy and there are hardliners that are completely motivated by theology," Rubio said.

"The hardliners that are motivated by theology are not just the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] officials, but obviously the supreme leader and the council that surrounds him," Rubio continued.
"And then you've got the political class -- the foreign minister, the president, the speaker, the majlis, these guys -- they're hardliners too, but they also understand the country has to have an economy. People have to eat. They have to figure out a way to pay salaries in their government," Rubio said.
"Unfortunately, the hardliners, with an apocalyptic vision of the future, have the ultimate power in that country," Rubio added.
-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian and Joe Simonetti






