No deal despite some progress – Tehran

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday there is “pretty solid talk” between the US and Iran regarding a deal to end the conflict, however, warning that “alternatives” would be explored if a diplomatic solution is not reached.

“There is a very solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open the strait, to open the strait, to enter into a very real, significant, time-limited conversation on the nuclear matter and hopefully we can get it done,” Rubio told reporters in the Indian capital, New Delhi.

The comments follow US President Donald Trump’s statement on Sunday that he told his negotiators not to “rush” a deal, saying on Saturday that “a lot of the negotiations have been done.”

However, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said on Sunday that as far as it was aware, key sections of the potential deal remained “unresolved at this time”, including the issue of frozen Iranian assets.

Oil prices fell to their lowest level in two weeks amid reports of the US and Iran reaching a peace deal.

Brent crude futures fell $4.71 (€4.05), or 4.55%, to $98.83 (€84.88) a barrel by 2234 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate was down $4.57, or 4.73%, at $92.03 a barrel.

Both contracts fell to their lowest levels since May 7 at the start of the session.

Oil prices have soared since the war broke out in Iran, largely because the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has cut off a vital transportation chokepoint.

The current war in Iran and the Middle East, which was triggered by the US-Israeli attack on February 28, is still ongoing, although reduced by a ceasefire that came into effect on April 8.

The US and Iran have issued conflicting statements over how close they are to reaching an agreement to end the conflict, with each side making demands the other so far will not accept.

DW will follow the faltering steps towards peace, the economic turmoil created by war, and the growing conflict.

Iran said on Monday that Tehran and Washington had reached agreement on a number of issues related to a possible peace deal, but refuted US statements, saying a full agreement was likely to be reached soon.

“It is correct to say that we have reached conclusions on a large part of the issues under discussion,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said during the weekly news briefing.

“But to say that the signing of an agreement is imminent – ​​no one can make that claim,” he said, adding that Washington has been contradictory and inconsistent in its statements.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that an agreement will be reached Was It may end on Monday.

Bakaaei also said that the 14-point framework plan currently being prepared by Iran “is focused on ending war” throughout the region, including Lebanon, and reiterated that details regarding Iran’s nuclear program would only be discussed after both sides agreed to that framework.

He said the Iranian plan included provisions to end the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and arrange safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a major global chokepoint for oil and gas transportation that has been virtually closed amid the conflict.