Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Tuesday that reaching an agreement with Iran might require “a few days” more, diminishing expectations for a swift resolution to the conflict following new American military strikes in southern Iran on Monday.
The strikes targeted various locations including vessels attempting to place mines and sites for launching missiles, according to Rubio, who emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz must remain accessible “one way or the other.”
“The straits have to be open, they’re going to be open one way or the other, so they need to be open,” Rubio stated while speaking to journalists aboard his aircraft in India’s Jaipur.
U.S. Central Command announced Monday that despite an April ceasefire remaining in effect, American forces executed additional strikes intended “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.”
Iranian officials reported Monday that their military had shot down what they described as a “hostile” stealth drone using newly deployed air defense technology, though they did not specify the aircraft’s origin, according to Iranian media outlets.
The American military action occurred while Iran’s chief negotiator and foreign minister were meeting in Doha with Qatar’s prime minister to discuss a possible agreement with the United States to conclude the three-month conflict, according to a source familiar with the visit.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi earlier, Rubio indicated the U.S. would exhaust diplomatic options before exploring alternative approaches to dealing with Iran.
He described having a “pretty solid thing on the table” regarding discussions about reopening the strait and a “very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter.”
President Donald Trump posted extensively on Truth Social Monday, stating that discussions with Iran were progressing “nicely” while cautioning about potential additional attacks if negotiations collapse. “It will only be a Great Deal for all, or no Deal at all,” he posted.
Highlighting regional tensions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that Israel would escalate attacks against the Iran-supported Hezbollah militia operating in Lebanon.
Israeli military forces subsequently confirmed they were striking Hezbollah facilities in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley and additional locations.
While Israel and Lebanon established a ceasefire in mid-April, Israeli airstrikes have continued, with Israel characterizing them as defensive measures against Hezbollah, which was not included in the truce agreement.
The source briefed on the Iranian delegation’s Doha visit told Reuters that conversations centered on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, with Iran’s central bank governor participating to address potentially unfreezing Iranian assets as part of any final agreement.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated earlier that nuclear discussions would only commence after establishing the framework agreement.
Trump has identified preventing Iran from creating nuclear weapons using its highly enriched uranium as his primary objective in the conflict. Tehran has repeatedly rejected claims that it intends to develop such weapons.
Baghaei noted that the proposed Iran agreement lacks specific provisions for managing the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes.
Iran would not impose transit fees for ships but would charge for services like navigation assistance and environmental protection measures, he explained, under a protocol to be established with Oman, located on the waterway’s opposite side.
Japan’s Nikkei newspaper, citing a Middle East diplomatic source, reported that the U.S. and Iran were considering a proposal to reopen the strait approximately 30 days after reaching a hostilities agreement.
Following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran beginning February 28, vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped to only dozens of ships compared to the previous daily average of 125 to 140.
This standoff has triggered rising oil prices and increased costs for fuel, fertilizer, and food products.
During early Tuesday Asian trading, U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude showed slight gains from Monday’s closing price but remained 5.5% below Friday’s close.
