Marco Rubio says ‘significant progress’ made in US-Iran talks to end war

Iranian news agency Tasnim says deal could see shipping levels through Strait of Hormuz return to pre-war levels within 30 days.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio says “significant progress” has been made in talks to end the US-Israel war on Iran, hours after President Donald Trump claimed that a memorandum of understanding to end the fighting was “largely negotiated”.

Rubio, who was on his first official visit to India, said on Sunday that the emerging deal would address Trump’s concerns about the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has largely blocked since the US and Israel launched their war on February 28.

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“Some progress has been made, significant progress, although not final progress has been made,” Rubio told reporters in New Delhi.

“I do think perhaps there is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news,” he said.

The agreement would also start a “process that can ultimately leave us where the president wants us to be, and that is a world that no longer has to fear or worry about an Iranian nuclear weapon”, Rubio added.

Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim News Agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said that under a potential memorandum of understanding, the number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz would return to pre-war levels within weeks.

“If the agreement is reached, the Strait of Hormuz will not fully return to its pre-war status; instead, the number of ships allowed to pass would be restored to pre-war levels within 30 days,” Tasnim reported.

The US ⁠naval blockade on Iranian ports must ⁠be completely lifted within 30 days, according ⁠to the potential memorandum ⁠of understanding, Tasnim ⁠said, adding that at least part of Iran’s frozen funds ‌must be released in the first phase of the agreement.

The potential deal also includes an end to the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, Tasnim reported.

The measures on the Strait of Hormuz would take effect over a 30-day period while negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme would continue over 60 days after the potential agreement is signed, Tasnim said.

After the initial 30-day period, “the parties will have 30 days to agree on the nuclear issue. These 30 days can be extended by mutual agreement,” Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem said. “During [the initial 30-day period], passage will be facilitated through the strait. According to Iran, management of the Strait of Hormuz will be an Iranian-Omani issue and is being negotiated with Muscat.”

Tasnim reported that disagreement over one or two clauses still persists. A source in Iran with knowledge of the deal told the news agency that if the US continues creating obstacles, there will be “no possibility of finalising the memorandum of understanding”.

Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar Atas, reporting from Tehran, said: “The talks are still in a delicate situation, particularly regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Once that is resolved, the second phase will focus on the nuclear negotiations. That issue has been ongoing for decades with a lot of back and forth, but the parties have not been able to agree on and stick to a deal.”

Al Jazeera’s correspondent Kimberly Halkett said from Washington, DC: “President Trump wants it to appear that he got what he wanted out of this deal, given the unpopularity of the war with the American public and his dropping approval ratings.”

Mohamad Elmasry, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera that the potential deal “is only an agreement to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz and push everything else, the more important issues like the nuclear issue, down the road.”

“Everything is still sort of going to remain on the table, including a return to military action if the US and Israel don’t get what they want,” Elmasry said.