Iran and the United States signalled Monday that talks to end their three-month-old war remain active but far from settled, as Washington kept pressure on Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz and both sides pushed back against expectations of a quick diplomatic breakthrough.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in New Delhi that Washington would continue giving diplomacy a chance before looking at “alternatives.” He said the United States would either reach a strong agreement with Iran or deal with the country in “another way.”
His comments followed President Donald Trump’s statement Sunday that he had instructed his representatives not to rush into a deal with Tehran.
Rubio said there was a “pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the strait, get the strait open, enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter, and hopefully we can pull it off.”
Iran gave a more guarded assessment. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Tehran was focused on talks to end the war and was not currently negotiating nuclear issues.
Baghaei said both sides had reached a framework, but no one should describe an agreement between Iran and the United States as imminent. He also said the possible memorandum of understanding did not include specific details about managing the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as belonging to coastal countries.
Trump said on Truth Social Sunday that the U.S. blockade on Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz would “remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed.”
“Both sides must take their time and get it right,” he added.
A day earlier, Trump had raised hopes for progress by saying Washington and Tehran had “largely negotiated” a memorandum of understanding on a peace agreement that would reopen the key waterway.
Baghaei said Iran would not impose tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but added that it was “normal for services provided to require a price.”
Before the war, the strait carried about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, making its reopening critical for energy markets.
Several major disputes continue to complicate talks, including Iran’s nuclear program, Israel’s war in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia, Tehran’s demand for sanctions relief, and the release of tens of billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenues frozen in foreign banks.
Iranian media reported Monday that central bank chief Abdolnaser Hemmati travelled to Qatar after talks with a Qatari delegation in Tehran about the frozen funds.
Iran has long denied U.S. and Israeli accusations that it is pursuing nuclear weapons. Tehran says it has the right to enrich uranium for civilian use, although the purity it has reached far exceeds the level needed for power generation.
Iranian sources told Reuters that later stages of talks might produce “feasible formulas” to address Tehran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile, including diluting the material under the supervision of the UN nuclear watchdog.
The war began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Trump has repeatedly promoted the prospect of a deal as the conflict has affected U.S. energy prices and sparked congressional efforts to limit his war powers.
A fragile ceasefire has held since early April. Trump pushed back Sunday against criticism of his negotiating approach.
“If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one … So don’t listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about,” he posted.
Any agreement that strengthens the ceasefire would offer relief to global markets, but it would not quickly end the energy crisis that has raised fuel, fertilizer and food costs.
The U.S.-Israeli bombing of Iran killed thousands before it was suspended in early April. Israel has also killed thousands more in Lebanon and displaced hundreds of thousands while pursuing Hezbollah. Iranian strikes on Israel and neighbouring Gulf states have killed dozens.
