‘Good news soon’: Rubio teases possible Hormuz breakthrough as Jaishankar backs West Asia stability

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signalled that a possible breakthrough in talks linked to Iran and the Strait of Hormuz may be close, as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised the need for peace, stability and uninterrupted maritime commerce across West Asia during a joint presser in New Delhi.

Speaking to the reporters,
Rubio said discussions around a possible peace arrangement were continuing.

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

Rubio made the remarks during a joint press conference following delegation-level bilateral talks held earlier in the day.

He said the emerging agreement could help address concerns surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran largely blocked following the joint US-Israel attacks.

According to Rubio, the proposed arrangement would also begin “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”.

Jaishankar highlights India’s regional balancing act

With regional tensions continuing since the outbreak of the war in February, Jaishankar highlighted India’s strong and carefully balanced relationships with the United States, Iran, Israel and the Gulf nations, while stressing the importance of regional stability.

“India would be one of the very few countries who has very good relations, very strong relations with the United States, with Israel, with Iran, and with the Gulf countries. So we have real interest there. For us, the challenge in this situation is how to maintain all these relationships, how to protect our equities, how to advance our interests. We don’t look at it as a zero-sum game. We have to manage and take care of all these accounts,” Jaishankar said.

He added that India’s priorities in the region included peace, stability, protection of the Indian diaspora and secure maritime trade routes.

“I would say there are some general principles by which we would approach this region. Obviously, we want peace and stability in the region. For us, the welfare, the well-being of the diaspora is crucial. We want to see energy prices go down because we are a very big importer of energy, and much of it comes from that region. As I stated in my remarks, we are very much in favour of safe and unimpeded maritime commerce through the region.”

Trump says deal is ‘largely negotiated’

Earlier in the day,
US President Donald Trump said a peace agreement involving Iran had been “largely negotiated” after conversations with Israel and regional allies, raising hopes of an end to the three-month-long conflict.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said discussions were continuing over the final details before any formal announcement.

Calling the proposed arrangement a “Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE”, Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen under the agreement.

Iran, however, disputed Trump’s comments regarding the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that Tehran would continue to maintain control over the waterway.

Reports suggested Iran had only agreed to restore ship traffic to pre-war levels and that this “in no way means a return to free passage” as existed before the conflict.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) also dismissed Trump’s remarks as “propaganda”, according to Fars news agency.