THE United States and Iran appeared closer to a potential breakthrough on Monday after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiators had placed “a pretty solid thing on the table” in efforts to end the conflict between the two countries.
Rubio’s remarks, delivered during a visit to New Delhi, came amid reports that a temporary ceasefire extension and the reopening of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz were central components of the emerging agreement.
“We’re still a work in progress,” the BBC reported Rubio saying on Monday.
“As I said, you know, we thought we might have some news last night. Maybe today.
“So, we have, what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the Straits,” he added, referring to the Strait of Hormuz, the critical shipping lane through which roughly 20 per cent of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass.
Financial markets reacted swiftly to optimism surrounding the talks, with oil prices falling sharply while Asian stock markets advanced on expectations that a de-escalation could stabilise global energy supplies and reduce geopolitical risk.
The latest diplomatic momentum followed comments by US President Donald Trump, who said he had instructed negotiators “not to rush into a deal”, despite earlier indications that an agreement was near.
According to reports in US media, the proposed framework could include a 60-day extension of the current ceasefire arrangement, reopening of maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz and continued negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
However, major issues reportedly remain unresolved, including the timing of sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian assets and Washington’s demands that Tehran significantly curb its nuclear activities.
Rubio cautioned against assuming an immediate breakthrough was guaranteed.
“I wouldn’t read too much into it,” he said, adding that communication delays with Tehran were slowing negotiations.
According to CBS News, US intelligence assessments suggest Iran’s supreme leader was injured during an Israeli strike at the start of the conflict and is currently in an undisclosed location, complicating communications between Tehran and its negotiating representatives.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei acknowledged over the weekend that both sides remained simultaneously “very close and very far” from reaching a final agreement.
The reported compromise has also exposed divisions within Trump’s Republican allies in Washington.
Senator Ted Cruz described the proposal as “a disastrous mistake”, while Senator Roger Wicker warned that extending a ceasefire would mean “everything accomplished by Operation Epic Fury would be for naught”.
Senator Lindsey Graham also criticised any arrangement that could leave Iran perceived as a dominant regional power.
“It makes one wonder why the war started to begin with,” Graham said.
Trump dismissed criticism from within his own political camp, insisting any eventual agreement would protect American interests.
“If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one,” he wrote on Truth Social.
The conflict began after coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February triggered retaliatory attacks by Tehran against Israel and Gulf states aligned with Washington. Iran subsequently restricted maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz, sending global energy prices sharply higher.
Following an earlier ceasefire agreement in April, Washington imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, which Trump has vowed will remain in place “until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed”.
Trump also reiterated that Iran “must understand” it would not be permitted to develop nuclear weapons, although Tehran has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is intended solely for peaceful civilian purposes.
Reports in American media suggest Iran could eventually agree to transfer part of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium under a broader diplomatic settlement.
At the outset of the conflict, Iran was believed to possess approximately 440 kilogrammes of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity — technically only a short step away from weapons-grade enrichment levels.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meanwhile insisted Tehran remained willing to reassure the international community over its intentions.
“We are ready to assure the world that we are not after a nuclear weapon,” he told Iranian state television. - May 25, 2026
