US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that negotiations with Iran may take “a few days,” lowering expectations of an immediate agreement after fresh US defensive strikes in southern Iran.
Speaking to reporters before leaving India, Rubio said President Donald Trump was in no rush to reach an agreement with Tehran. He said Trump would not accept a bad deal and that Iran may need more time to respond.
Rubio added that he hoped there could be news on the agreement by Tuesday night, but warned that if diplomacy fails, the United States would consider alternative options.
Strait of Hormuz must remain open
Rubio said the Strait of Hormuz must remain open “one way or the other.”
“The straits have to be open, they’re going to be open one way or the other,” he told reporters aboard his plane in Jaipur, India. He said there was a strong diplomatic offer on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as well as a serious proposal on Iran’s nuclear issue.
Rubio’s remarks came a day after US Central Command said American forces carried out defensive strikes in southern Iran. CENTCOM said the attacks targeted Iranian missile launch sites and boats allegedly attempting to lay mines.
The command said the strikes were designed to protect US troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.
Talks with Iran continue in Qatar
Rubio said negotiations with Iran could take a few days and that specific clauses were being discussed in an initial document. He also confirmed that some negotiations with Iran were held in Qatar on Tuesday.
Iran’s top negotiator and foreign minister were in Doha for talks with Qatar’s prime minister on a possible deal to end the three-month-old war.
Earlier in New Delhi, Rubio said the US would give diplomacy every chance to succeed before deciding whether to deal with Iran in “another way". He described the proposal as a “pretty solid thing on the table.”
Rubio said the talks included reopening the strait and a “very real, significant, time-limited negotiation” on the nuclear matter.
Trump warns of no deal without strong terms
In a lengthy Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said talks with Iran were going “nicely.” However, he warned of fresh attacks if negotiations failed, saying it would be “a Great Deal for all, or no Deal at all.”
Trump has said his main objective is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon using its highly enriched uranium. Tehran has repeatedly denied that it plans to build a nuclear weapon.
Iran reports downing hostile drone
Iran said Monday it had downed a “hostile” stealth drone using a new air defence system, according to Iranian news agencies. The reports did not say where the drone had come from.
An official briefed on the Iranian visit to Doha said the talks focused on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Iran’s central bank governor also attended the talks to discuss the possible release of frozen Iranian funds as part of a final agreement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said nuclear issues would only be negotiated after a framework accord was agreed.
Hormuz plan has no specific management details
Baghaei said the possible Iran deal did not include specific details on management of the Strait of Hormuz. He said Iran would not charge tolls for ships passing through the waterway.
However, he said there would be costs for services such as navigation and environmental protection under a protocol to be agreed with Oman, which lies opposite Iran across the strait.
Japan’s Nikkei newspaper, citing a Middle East diplomatic source, reported that the US and Iran were discussing a plan to open the Strait of Hormuz about 30 days after a deal to end hostilities.
Since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, only a few dozen vessels have been passing through the strait. Previously, around 125 to 140 vessels used the route daily.
Oil, fuel, food costs rise amid standoff
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy routes, with about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas usually passing through it.
The standoff has pushed oil prices higher and increased the cost of fuel, fertiliser and food.
In early Asian trade Tuesday, US West Texas Intermediate crude was slightly higher than Monday’s last traded price but still down 5.5% from Friday’s close.
Regional tensions also widened after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel would intensify strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Soon after, Israel’s military said it was attacking Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley and other areas.
Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire in mid-April, but Israel has continued airstrikes it says are acts of self-defence against Hezbollah, which was not party to the truce.
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