Iran rejected suggestions that a war-ending agreement with the United States was close at hand Monday, even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled Washington remained open to a negotiated settlement and would not force a bad outcome.
Speaking from New Delhi during an official visit, Rubio said the Trump administration had "a pretty solid thing on the table" but stressed the president was "not in a hurry" to accept unfavorable terms. "We're either going to have a good agreement or we're going to have to deal with it another way," Rubio told reporters. "We'd prefer to have a good agreement." He added that the U.S. would give diplomacy "every chance to succeed before we explore the alternatives," though he did not elaborate on what those alternatives might entail.
President Trump reinforced the message hours later on social media, writing that any deal would "either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal." The statement marked a pullback from earlier rhetoric suggesting an announcement could come within days, and followed Sunday comments in which Trump said he would not "rush into a deal."
Tehran's Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei took a markedly different tone, cautioning that despite progress on multiple fronts, "no one can claim that this means an imminent agreement is about to be signed." Baghaei said negotiations centered on ending the war itself and that "at this stage we are not discussing the details of the nuclear issue." He also noted that the framework under discussion does not address how the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint, would be managed going forward.
A senior U.S. administration official outlined the contours of a potential framework, describing a 60-day window for both sides to hammer out a final peace accord. The Iranian government would commit to abandoning nuclear weapons development and surrendering what Trump has dubbed "nuclear dust" in the form of enriched uranium, with specifics to be worked out during the negotiation period. The U.S., meanwhile, would gradually lift its naval blockade and provide financial relief to Iran's struggling economy, though only after Tehran demonstrated compliance with its obligations.
The proposal would also require clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz and reopening the waterway to commerce. Iran's de facto closure of the passage has disrupted global energy supplies, though markets rallied on optimism about a potential settlement. Oil prices fell more than $5 to two-week lows, and U.S. average gas prices dipped slightly to $4.51 per gallon.
Some Republican lawmakers have warned publicly that emerging details from the memorandum of understanding could prove catastrophic for American interests. Trump struck back at critics early Monday, targeting what he called "Dumocrats, RINOS, and Fools who know nothing about the potential deal."
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has served as a key mediator, was in Beijing Monday meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping as calls grow for China to pressure Iran to accept terms, citing its substantial leverage with Tehran.
If a framework deal moves forward quickly, the 60-day negotiation window would effectively extend the conflict into late July or early August, dragging the war closer to November's midterm elections and the broader campaign season. That timeline risks keeping the dispute front and center for Republicans as it potentially affects party messaging heading into the election.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The slow-walk from both sides looks calculated, not accidental, and neither wants to be blamed if this falls apart."
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