Rubio says ‘significant’ progress made in talks with Iran
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has been talking to reporters in New Delhi during a diplomatic visit to India.
“I do think perhaps there is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news,” Rubio told the media.
He added that “significant” progress had been made in peace talks with Iran but cautioned that this was not “final” progress. Rubio reiterated that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon and that the strait of Hormuz has to be open to global marine traffic without tolls being charged by Tehran for safe passage.
Rubio said:
We have made some progress over the last 48 hours working with our partners in the Gulf region on an outline that could ultimately – if it succeeds – leave us not just with a completely open strait … and with addressing some of the key things that underpin what has been Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions in the past.
Key events
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has welcomed signs of progress in US-Iran peace talks.
“I welcome the progress towards an agreement between the US and Iran. We need a deal that truly de-escalates the conflict, reopens the strait of Hormuz and guarantees toll-free full freedom of navigation. Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,” von der Leyen wrote on X.
“It must also end its destabilising actions in the region, directly or through proxies, as well as its unjustified and repeated attacks on its neighbours,” she added.
A senior Iranian source has told the Reuters news agency that if Iran’s supreme national security council approved the memorandum, it would be sent to supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei for final approval.
No verified recording or visual sighting of Khamenei has been broadcast since he was appointed supreme leader in early March. Reports have suggested that he was severely injured in the US-Israeli bombing that killed his 86-year-old father and predecessor on 28 February.
What could be in the potential US-Iran deal?
As we have been reporting, Donald Trump has said that a Memorandum of Understanding in talks to end the US-Israel war on Iran “has been largely negotiated”.
Official details of the potential deal are scant and it remains possible that some aspects of the memo could change. But here is what we know so far about the potential agreement that could bring an end to the war.
– The deal would involve a 60-day ceasefire extension during which the strait of Hormuz would be reopened, Iran could freely sell oil, and talks on limiting Iran’s nuclear program would be held, a US official told Axios.
– Iran would also agree to clear the mines it deployed in the strait and not impose any tolls on ships – and in exchange, the US would lift its blockade on Iranian ports that has been in effect since 13 April, Axios reported.
– The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said on Sunday that the deal could achieve “a completely open” strait of Hormuz “without tolls” if successful.
– But Iranian media reported that the strait of Hormuz would remain under Iranian control.
– The deal would reportedly unfreeze some Iranian assets that are being held in banks outside Iran.
– Hostilities would reportedly be halted on all fronts, including Israel and Lebanon.
– A senior Iranian source told Reuters on Sunday that Tehran had not agreed to hand over its highly enriched uranium (HEU) stockpile.
– The source said Iran’s nuclear issue was not part of the preliminary agreement with the US.
– The statement came after the NY Times, citing two US officials, reported that Tehran had apparently expressed a willingness to give up its stockpile.
– Even if Tehran does agree to give up some of its HEU stockpile, there has been no mention of how this would happen in practice.
– There has also been little mention of Iran’s ballistic missile programme or the curbing of its support for its regional allies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon or the Houthis in Yemen.
The UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, said he supports the nearing of an agreement between the US and Iran toward ending the war and reopening the strait of Hormuz. In a post on X, Starmer wrote:
I welcome the progress towards an agreement between the US and Iran. We need to see an agreement that brings the conflict to an end and reopens the strait of Hormuz, with unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation.
It’s vital that Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. My government will continue to do everything we can to protect British people from the impact of this conflict. We will work with our international partners to seize this moment and achieve a long-term diplomatic settlement.
Rubio said that the path to a durable agreement would require “full Iranian acceptance and then compliance”, and “future work” would have to be done to finalise “the details”.
“When you are talking about a nuclear programme, as an example, these are highly technical matters and ones that would probably need to be addressed over some period of time,” the secretary of state said.
Responding to the criticism of the emerging deal from senior Republicans (see post at 08.28), Rubio said Donald Trump’s commitment to Iran never possessing a nuclear weapon is unwavering.
“And the idea that somehow this president, given everything he has already proven he is willing to do, is going to somehow agree to a deal that ultimately winds up putting Iran in a stronger position when it comes to nuclear ambitions is absurd,” he said.
“That is just not going to happen. But our preference is to address this through a diplomatic means and that is what we are endeavouring to do here.”
Rubio says ‘significant’ progress made in talks with Iran
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has been talking to reporters in New Delhi during a diplomatic visit to India.
“I do think perhaps there is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news,” Rubio told the media.
He added that “significant” progress had been made in peace talks with Iran but cautioned that this was not “final” progress. Rubio reiterated that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon and that the strait of Hormuz has to be open to global marine traffic without tolls being charged by Tehran for safe passage.
Rubio said:
We have made some progress over the last 48 hours working with our partners in the Gulf region on an outline that could ultimately – if it succeeds – leave us not just with a completely open strait … and with addressing some of the key things that underpin what has been Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions in the past.
While there is little doubt that waves of US and Israeli airstrikes heavily degraded Iran’s military capabilities, many of Donald Trump’s core objectives remain unfulfilled and he is now essentially trying to get back to the status quo of the strait of Hormuz being freely open to international vessels.
A stockpile of highly enriched uranium is also still believed to remain buried following US and Israeli airstrikes last June and Iran reportedly retains much of its pre-war missile stockpile despite US-Israeli attacks.
Texas senator Ted Cruz has said he is “deeply concerned” about the reports of the potential deal being struck between Tehran and Washington.
He said Donald Trump was right to launch the initial strikes on Iran in late February, in which the country’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed, but urged the president to “continue to hold the line”.
“He was right to do so, and we achieved extraordinary military results-including destroying all of their missiles & drones and sinking their entire navy,” Cruz, who is among the Republican lawmakers most supportive of airstrikes on Iran, wrote in a post on X.
“If the result of all that is to be an Iranian regime-still run by Islamists who chant “death to America”-now receiving billions of dollars, being able to enrich uranium & develop nuclear weapons, and having effective control over the strait of Hormuz, then that outcome would be a disastrous mistake.”
Interim summary
In case you’re just joining us, here’s a recap of the day’s key news amid the Middle East crisis.
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The US and Iran reportedly sought on Sunday to finalise an agreement to formally end the Middle East war after Donald Trump said a proposal that included reopening the strait of Hormuz was “largely negotiated”. “Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” the US president posted on his Truth Social platform, without giving details.
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Trump emphasised the deal was still “subject to finalisation”, while news reports said a draft indicated the two sides would address contentious issues about Iran’s nuclear program only after an initial pact was reached.
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Leaders from Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain as well as Pakistani and Turkish representatives joined a call with Trump to discuss the deal on Saturday, the US president said.
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Mediator Pakistan hoped to host another round of talks “very soon”, said the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif. US vice-president JD Vance led US delegation to Islamabad in the first round of peace talks with Iran six weeks ago which ended without an agreement.
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Trump said a separate call with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu “went very well”.
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The potential US-Iran agreement involves a 60-day ceasefire extension during which the Hormuz strait would be reopened, the Axios new site reported, and Tehran would be able to freely sell oil. Negotiations would be held on curbing Iran’s nuclear program, it said, citing an American official, while also saying the details were in an agreement draft and “could still fall apart”.
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Iran has not commented on Trump’s announcement of a deal being close but Iran’s Tasnim semi-official news agency said that under a potential memorandum of understanding the US would waive its sanctions against selling Iranian oil. It also said Tehran had not yet agreed to any actions on its nuclear program and that the potential agreement included ending the war on all fronts including Lebanon.
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The results of the latest negotiations on the Iran war “offer grounds for optimism that a positive and durable outcome is within reach”, the foreign minister of mediator Pakistan said.
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Former Trump secretary of state Mike Pompeo denounced the apparent emerging deal as benefiting Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and being too close to the terms Barack Obama’s negotiators struck with Iran in a nuclear agreement Trump later abandoned.
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In Lebanon, the civil defence agency said early on Sunday its regional facility in the southern city of Nabatieh had been destroyed by an Israeli strike. The agency condemned “this attack on a centre dedicated to humanitarian and relief work”, also saying there were no reports of casualties among its personnel.
With news agencies
Iran’s Tasnim semi-official news agency is saying Tehran has not yet agreed to any actions on its nuclear program and that under the potential memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US, Washington would waive its sanctions against selling Iranian oil.
The MOU also emphasises ending the war on all fronts including Lebanon, according to Tasnim, and that Israel would have to end the war in Lebanon.
It said a 30-day period would be allocated for procedures relating to the strait of Hormuz and an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports, while a 60-day period would be set for nuclear negotiations.
Under the MOU, part of Iran’s frozen funds must be released during the first phase of the agreement, Tasnim is saying, quoted by Reuters.
The foreign minister of mediator Pakistan has said the achievements of the latest negotiations on the Iran war “offer grounds for optimism that a positive and durable outcome is within reach”.
Ishaq Dar said Donald Trump’s phone call with Middle Eastern leaders and Pakistan “marks a significant step closer toward the shared objective of regional peace, stability and an early diplomatic outcome”.
He also said in the post on X:
Pakistan remains firmly committed to supporting all sincere efforts aimed at lasting peace, mutual respect, and regional stability.”
Dar, who is also deputy prime minister, added:
Dialogue and diplomacy must prevail over conflict and confrontation for the collective prosperity and security of our region and beyond.”
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says he welcomes the latest developments on the Iran war and believes “appropriate solutions” can be found on the nuclear and other contentious issues.
Erdoğan also said Turkey “stands ready to provide every kind of support” during the potential deal’s implementation phase and that “a just peace would have no losers”.
A post on X from the Turkish presidency said held a teleconference with Donald Trump and Middle Eastern leaders and mediator Pakistan as well as US cabinet members and expressed that “an agreement to secure free passage through the Strait of Hormuz would support stability in the region, providing a relief to global economy”.
In the call Erdoğan said that “appropriate solutions could be found over the course of the process to the issues that look contentious within the context of Iran, including the nuclear issue”.
The post also said:
Underscoring that Türkiye desires a new era in which countries of the region do not pose threats to one another, President Erdoğan added that a just peace would have no losers.”
Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia has said conditions are now right for Middle Eastern countries to “unite in the reconstruction of the region” and build it up.
Alireza Enayati also said on X (in a translation) that Iran had “strong ropes that have kept the tent of Iran safe from fierce winds and destructive storms throughout history” and that it “remains proud” during hardships.
He said:
Iran is a new opportunity for the region to think about the future by moving away from the repetitive literature of the past. Now, conditions are in place for all countries in the region to unite in the reconstruction of the region and to work together to build the region.”
Iran executed one person for charges related to sending information to the US and Israel during the war, the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported on Sunday, according to Reuters.
The individual was sending data about Iran’s defence industry to “the enemy”, the news agency alleged.
The draft agreement between the US and Iran also makes clear the Israel- Hezbollah war in Lebanon would end, Axios is reporting.
The newsite quotes an unnamed Israeli official as saying Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed concern about that condition – and other aspects of the deal – during a call with Donald Trump on Saturday.
The report went on:
The US official said it would not be a ‘one-sided ceasefire’ and if Hezbollah tried to rearm or instigate attacks, Israel would be allowed to take action to prevent it. ‘If Hezbollah behaves, Israel will behave.’”
As just mentioned, the report says the agreement is only in unfinalised draft form and “could still fall apart”, according to a US official.
Peace draft involves reopening Hormuz strait during 60-day truce extension – report
The agreement the US and Iran are reportedly close to signing involves a 60-day ceasefire extension during which the strait of Hormuz would be reopened, according to Axios.
During that time Iran would be able to freely sell oil and negotiations would be held on curbing Iran’s nuclear program, the US news site is reporting, citing an American official, while also saying the details were in an agreement “draft” as it currently stood.
“Those details have not been confirmed by the Iranian side, though Tehran has also indicated a deal is getting close,” the report says.
Some of the draft details look to align with what is being reported from sources quoted by the Associated Press and the New York Times, as our full report details.
The deal would avoid an escalation of the war and decrease the pressure on the global oil supply, Axios says, adding:
However, it’s unclear whether it will lead to a lasting peace agreement that also addresses President Trump’s nuclear demands.”
The report says that during the 60-day Hormuz strait reopening, Iran would agree to clear mines it deployed in the waterway and allow ships to pass freely. In exchange, the US would lift its blockade on Iranian ports.
The report also says:
Both Trump and the mediators have indicated the deal could be announced on Sunday, though it has not been finalized and could still fall apart.”
Amid Israel’s strikes on Lebanon this weekend, Hezbollah said Iran pledged not to abandon the militant group.
Tehran-backed Hezbollah said its leader, Naim Qassem, had received a message from Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi saying the latest proposal through Pakistani mediators aimed ending the regional war emphasised “the demand to include Lebanon” in the broader ceasefire.
Lebanese authorities, however, have insisted the country’s ongoing talks with Israel under US auspices must be independent from the Iran-US negotiations, as AFP reports.
Israel’s military has been pounding Lebanon despite the US-brokered truce that was recently extended by six weeks, while Hezbollah has also kept up attacks on Israeli targets.
The group said Araghchi’s message indicated Iran “will not give up its support” for Hezbollah.
Iran has previously demanded there be a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon before any peace deal with the US.
Hezbollah has vehemently rejected the US-hosted talks between Lebanon and Israel that led to the truce.
Lebanon’s military stressed this week that its soldiers were loyal to the institution after the US announced sanctions that included an officer accused of sharing information with Hezbollah.
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