Iran war peace deal due ‘maybe today’, says Rubio, but no ‘rush’ warns Trump
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio addresses a press conference with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (not seen) at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India.
Imtiyaz Khan/Anadolu via Getty Images
- A deal to end the Iranian war is imminent, said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- US President Donald Trump told negotiators to take their time.
- Rubio insisted that Israel had a right to defend itself.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that a deal to end the war with Iran could materialise “today”, adding that Israel had the right to defend itself against attack.
“We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today, I wouldn’t read too much into it,” Rubio said in New Delhi, referring to the potential agreement.
“We have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the straits, get the straits open,” he told reporters as he departed the Indian capital, where he has been on an official visit.
“It has a lot of support in the Gulf… every country that we’ve walked through it (with) understands it’s not just very reasonable, but it’s the right thing for the world to get done.”
Rubio also voiced confidence that Iran would “enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter”.
READ | ‘Inconsistent with reality’: Iran media disputes Trump claim that war is ‘largely negotiated’
He addressed reporters ahead of the next leg of his India visit, which will see him travel to Agra, the northern city famous for the Taj Mahal.
Rubio’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump tempered expectations of a deal, saying on Sunday he had told his negotiators not to “rush”.
Rubio said of Trump:
He’s not in a hurry, he’s not going to make a bad deal, and the president’s not going to make a bad agreement.
The war erupted after the US and Israel attacked the Islamic Republic on 28 February, and Iran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region.
Washington and Tehran have observed a ceasefire since 8 April.
Rubio told reporters that “Israel always has a right to protect itself.”
“If Hezbollah is going to launch missiles or launches missiles at them, Israel has every right to respond to that, or to prevent that from happening,” he said.
“That’s always been understood. It’s being understood during the ceasefire.”
I spoke last night with President @realDonaldTrump about the memorandum of understanding to reopen the Straits of Hormuz and the upcoming negotiations toward a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.
I expressed my deep appreciation to President Trump for his unwavering…
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 24, 2026
Reuters reported that on Monday, oil prices fell 6% to two-week lows, as optimism grew that the US and Iran were moving closer to a peace deal, even though they remain at odds over key issues, such as blockades on the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude futures fell $5.85, or 5.7%, to $97.69 a barrel by 03:43 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate were at $90.85 a barrel, down $5.75, or 6%.
Both contracts touched their lowest since 7 May earlier in the session.
