US-Iran Negotiations Progress
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that US and Iranian negotiators have "a pretty solid thing on the table" and that a deal between the two countries may be reached on Monday.
"We're still a work in progress,"Rubio said during a visit to India.
His remarks came after President Donald Trump indicated he had instructed negotiators "not to rush into a deal," following earlier suggestions that an agreement was close.
The reported deal reportedly involves a 60-day ceasefire extension, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and a plan for further negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.
On Monday, oil prices fell sharply and Asian stock markets rose on hopes of an agreement.
"We're still a work in progress. As I said, you know, we thought we might have some news last night. Maybe today,"Rubio said in the Indian capital, Delhi.
"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 crucial waterway where 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes and which Iran has been blocking.
Cautioning against premature conclusions, Rubio said,
"I wouldn't read too much into it. It takes a little while to hear back from Iran."
Challenges in Communication
CBS News, the BBC's US partner, reported that US intelligence believes Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei—who was injured in an Israeli strike on the first day of the war which killed his father and predecessor—is currently in an undisclosed location. This situation complicates communication with his envoys and is delaying the pace of talks with the US.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei commented over the weekend that the two sides were both
"very close and very far"from reaching an agreement.
Details and Reactions to the Proposed Deal
According to US media, the proposed deal is not a final settlement but leaves some of the most difficult issues to be negotiated later. These include the scope and timing of Iranian sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian funds, and Washington's demands for Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions.
The reported deal has caused division among President Trump's Republican allies, with some publicly arguing it is too lenient on Iran.
Senator Ted Cruz described it as
"a disastrous mistake,"while Roger Wicker, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said a 60-day ceasefire would mean
"everything accomplished by Operation Epic Fury would be for naught!"
Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, also criticized any deal that would leave Iran perceived as a dominant regional power.
"It makes one wonder why the war started to begin with,"he said.
President Trump responded by dismissing critics, stating he did not
"listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about."
He added on Truth Social,
"If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one."
Industry Perspectives and Conflict Background
Even in the best-case scenario, the effects of a deal are unlikely to be immediate.
Lars Jensen, chief executive of Vespucci Maritime and former director of shipping company Maersk, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that it could be months before the shipping industry returns to supply chains that are physically in the same condition as before the crisis.
He explained that should a deal between Iran and the US be announced in the coming days, the industry would remain
"cautious and hesitant"to make any
"major operational changes."
The US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February, sparking conflict across the Middle East. Iran responded by attacking Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, causing global oil prices to soar.
Shortly after a ceasefire was agreed in early April, the US established a blockade of Iranian ports, which President Trump says will remain
"in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed."
Statements on Nuclear Ambitions
In a Sunday post on Truth Social, President Trump reiterated that Iran
"must understand"it cannot develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes.
Some US media reports suggest the deal could see Iran agree to eventually hand over its highly enriched uranium.
At the start of the war, Iran is estimated to have had about 440kg (970 lbs) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity—a short process away from the weapons-grade 90% enrichment, which theoretically could enable the creation of a nuclear bomb.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told state TV that Iran was ready
"to assure the world that we are not after a nuclear weapon."
