Rubio says 'solid' Iran deal may come on Monday

Rubio says 'solid' Iran deal may come on MondayJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GooglePaulin KolaReutersRubio said it took time to hear back from IranUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio says US and Iranian negotiators have "a pretty solid thing on the table" and a deal to end the war between the two countries may be reached on Monday. "We're still a work in progress," Rubio said during a visit to India. He was speaking after President Donald Trump said he had instructed negotiators "not to rush into a deal", after earlier suggesting one was close. It reportedly involves a 60-day ceasefire extension, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a plan for further negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.Oil prices fell sharply and Asian stock markets rose on Monday on hopes of an agreement."We're still a work in progress. As I said, you know, we thought we might have some news last night. Maybe today," Rubio said on Monday in the Indian capital, Delhi."So we have, what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the Straits," he said referring to the Strait of Hormuz - the crucial waterway where 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes and which Iran has been blocking.Cautioning "I wouldn't read too much into it", Rubio said "it takes a little while to hear back" from Iran".CBS News, the BBC's US partner, has reported that US intelligence believes Iran's supreme leader - who was injured in an Israeli strike on the first day of the war - is holed up in an undisclosed location, making communication with his envoys difficult and therefore delaying pace of talks with the US.Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said at the weekend the two sides were both "very close and very far" from reaching an agreement. According to US media, the mooted deal is not a final settlement and ins...