US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in New Delhi on Monday, dampened expectations of a near-term agreement to end the US-Israeli war on Iran, stating that while a solid proposal is on the table, no breakthrough occurred as anticipated.

Rubio noted that a ceasefire has been in place since April 8, but Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping, while the US maintains a naval blockade of Iranian ports. President Donald Trump earlier reiterated on Truth Social that the blockade would remain until a deal is signed.

The top US diplomat emphasized that Washington prefers a negotiated settlement but is prepared to confront Iran 'another way' if talks fail. 'We're either going to have a good agreement, or we're going to have to deal with it another way,' Rubio said.

A senior Trump administration official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, revealed that Iran has agreed 'in principle' to dispose of its highly enriched uranium and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the US lifting its naval blockade. The official claimed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had endorsed the broad template.

However, no official confirmation came from Tehran, and Iran's Tasnim News Agency accused the US of obstructing parts of the deal. The US official acknowledged that negotiating the nuclear details would take more time, with the first step being the reopening of the strait.

Analysts remain skeptical. Charles Kupchan of the Council on Foreign Relations told Al Jazeera that the back-and-forth suggests a lasting deal is far off, given the lack of concrete Iranian commitments on uranium disposal and unrestricted strait access.

Source: www.aljazeera.com