1 hour ago 
Reuters
Rubio said it took clip to perceive backmost from Iran
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says US and Iranian negotiators person "a beauteous coagulated happening connected the table" and a woody to extremity the warfare betwixt the 2 countries whitethorn beryllium reached connected Monday.
"We're inactive a enactment successful progress," Rubio said during a sojourn to India.
He was speaking aft President Donald Trump said helium had instructed negotiators "not to unreserved into a deal", aft earlier suggesting 1 was close.
It reportedly involves a 60-day ceasefire extension, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a program for further negotiations implicit Iran's atomic programme.
Oil prices fell sharply and Asian banal markets roseate connected Monday connected hopes of an agreement.
"We're inactive a enactment successful progress. As I said, you know, we thought we mightiness person immoderate quality past night. Maybe today," Rubio said connected Monday successful the Indian capital, Delhi.
"So we have, what I deliberation is simply a beauteous coagulated happening connected the array successful presumption of their quality to unfastened up the Straits," helium said referring to the Strait of Hormuz - the important waterway wherever 20% of the world's lipid and liquefied earthy state passes and which Iran has been blocking.
Cautioning "I wouldn't work excessively overmuch into it", Rubio said "it takes a small portion to perceive back" from Iran".
CBS News, the BBC's US partner, has reported that US quality believes Iran's ultimate person - who was injured successful an Israeli onslaught connected the archetypal time of the warfare - is holed up successful an undisclosed location, making connection with his envoys hard and truthful delaying gait of talks with the US.
Iran's overseas ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said astatine the play the 2 sides were some "very adjacent and precise far" from reaching an agreement.
According to US media, the mooted woody is not a last colony and alternatively leaves immoderate of the thorniest issues to beryllium negotiated later, including the scope and timing of Iranian sanctions relief, the merchandise of frozen Iranian funds, and Washington's demands for Iran to curb its atomic ambitions.
The reported woody has divided Trump's Republicans, with immoderate publically arguing it is excessively lenient connected Iran.
Senator Ted Cruz said it would beryllium "a disastrous mistake", portion Roger Wicker, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said a 60-day ceasefire would mean "everything accomplished by Operation Epic Fury would beryllium for naught!"
Senator Lindsey Graham, who is simply a adjacent Trump ally, besides criticised immoderate woody that would permission Iran perceived arsenic being a ascendant unit successful the region.
"It makes 1 wonderment wherefore the warfare started to statesman with," helium said.
Trump responded by saying helium did not "listen to the losers, who are captious astir thing they cognize thing about".
"If I marque a woody with Iran, it volition beryllium a bully and due one," helium wrote connected Truth Social.
The US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes connected Iran connected 28 February, sparking struggle crossed the Middle East. Iran responded by attacking Israel and US-allied states successful the Gulf, and efficaciously closed the Strait of Hormuz. The determination sent lipid prices soaring globally.
Shortly aft a ceasefire was agreed successful aboriginal April, the US established a blockade of Iranian ports, which Trump says volition stay "in afloat unit and effect until an statement is reached, certified, and signed".
In Sunday's station connected Truth Social, Trump reiterated that Iran "must understand" it cannot make a atomic weapon. Tehran has repeatedly said its atomic programme is solely for peaceful purposes.
Some reports successful US media suggest the woody could spot Iran hold to yet manus implicit its highly enriched uranium.
At the commencement of the war, Iran is thought to person had astir 440kg (970 lbs) of uranium that was enriched up to 60% purity - a abbreviated process distant from being enriched further to the weapons-grade 90%, which theoretically could let it to make a atomic bomb.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told authorities TV Iran was acceptable "to guarantee the satellite that we are not aft a atomic weapon."
English (US)·