Manila: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed on Wednesday that the United States remains open to dialogue with Iran and is prepared to negotiate to resolve differences, but he accused Tehran of not being serious about the negotiations.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Rubio made these remarks during a meeting with his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Philippine capital, Manila. He stated, "If they are serious, we are serious. If they are not, we will take the necessary measures to protect our interests and the interests of our allies as well."

In this context, the ASEAN foreign ministers expressed their deep concern regarding the renewed hostilities in the Middle East.