Defense & Intelligence Policy, Business and Technology

Tillerson denies 'castration' and says diplomacy goes on till 'first bomb drops'

The Guardian: Rex Tillerson worked on Sunday to reinforce the basic lines of US policy on major international issues such as Iran and North Korea, all while having to combat perceptions that his relationship with Donald Trump has deteriorated to the point the president is, in the words of one Republican senator, “castrating” his secretary of state.

Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Tillerson said the US wished to remain in the Iran nuclear deal and denied that China was confused about its North Korea policy. Diplomatic manoeuvres would continue over the latter issue, he said, “until the first bomb drops”.

The secretary of state also denied he had, in interviewer Jake Tapper’s formulation of a suggestion first made by the Tennessee senator Bob Corker, been “gelded”.

“I checked, I’m fully intact,” Tillerson said.

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