DELHI — A highly anticipated agreement to end the war between the United States and Iran could be reached as early as Monday, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who revealed that negotiators have “a pretty solid thing on the table.”
Speaking from the Indian capital of Delhi on Monday, Rubio struck a cautiously optimistic tone regarding the ongoing negotiations. “We’re still a work in progress. As I said, you know, we thought we might have some news last night. Maybe today,” the Secretary of State told reporters.
The proposed framework reportedly centers on a 60-day ceasefire extension and the crucial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, alongside a roadmap for future talks concerning Iran’s nuclear program. News of the impending diplomatic breakthrough immediately rippled through global markets, with oil prices falling sharply and Asian stock markets rallying on hopes of stabilized energy trade.
“So we have, what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the Straits,” Rubio noted, referring to the vital waterway responsible for 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas transit, which Iran has blockaded since the conflict escalated.
However, Rubio urged patience, cautioning, “I wouldn’t read too much into it… it takes a little while to hear back from Iran.”
Communication Hurdles and Incomplete Resolutions
The slight delays in finalizing the agreement may be logistical as much as political. U.S. intelligence suggests that Iran’s supreme leader, who was reportedly injured in an Israeli strike on the first day of the war, is currently operating from an undisclosed location. According to U.S. media partner CBS News, this isolation is complicating his ability to communicate with his envoys, thereby slowing the pace of negotiations.
Echoing this complex reality, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei noted over the weekend that the two sides remain simultaneously “very close and very far” from a finalized pact.
Furthermore, sources indicate the mooted agreement is not a comprehensive final settlement. Instead, it temporarily bypasses some of the conflict’s most contentious issues—such as the timeline for Iranian sanctions relief, the unfreezing of Iranian assets abroad, and Washington’s strict demands to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
A Divided Republican Party
The prospect of a ceasefire has ignited a fierce debate within Washington, splitting President Donald Trump’s Republican base. Several high-profile lawmakers have publicly voiced concerns that the deal is too lenient on Tehran.
Senator Ted Cruz condemned the potential agreement as “a disastrous mistake,” while Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, warned that a 60-day ceasefire would mean “everything accomplished by Operation Epic Fury would be for naught!”
Even close Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham leveled harsh criticism against any deal that leaves Iran appearing as a dominant regional power, stating, “It makes one wonder why the war started to begin with.”
President Trump, who had earlier instructed negotiators “not to rush into a deal,” fired back at his critics in a fiery post on Truth Social. He dismissed the dissenting Republicans, declaring he does not “listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about.”
“If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one,” Trump wrote.
The Nuclear Question Remains
The current conflict ignited on February 28, following wide-ranging U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that quickly engulfed the Middle East. Iran retaliated against Israel and U.S.-allied Gulf states, effectively choking off the Strait of Hormuz and sending global oil prices skyrocketing. A temporary ceasefire was reached in early April, prompting the U.S. to establish a strict blockade of Iranian ports—a measure Trump insists will remain “in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed.”
At the core of the ongoing hostility is Iran’s nuclear program. In a Sunday social media post, President Trump reiterated that Iran “must understand” it will not be permitted to develop a nuclear weapon.
Prior to the war’s outbreak, Iran had stockpiled an estimated 440kg (970 lbs) of uranium enriched to 60% purity—dangerously close to the 90% weapons-grade threshold necessary for a nuclear bomb. Some U.S. media reports suggest the pending deal may eventually require Iran to hand over this highly enriched uranium.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, however, continues to deny any military nuclear ambitions. Speaking to Iranian state television, Pezeshkian asserted that his government is ready “to assure the world that we are not after a nuclear weapon.”
