Rubio Says Iran Deal Could Take Days as US Conducts Additional Strikes

May 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that negotiating a deal with Iran could "take a few days," following U.S. forces' strikes in southern Iran the previous day. The strikes targeted boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites, according to a U.S. Central Command statement describing them as measures to protect troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.

Rubio stated that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open. "The straits have to be open, they're going to be open one way or the other, so they need to be open," he told reporters on his plane in India's Jaipur. He added that a "pretty solid thing" was on the table regarding reopening the strait and described a "very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter."

A ceasefire had been in place since early April. Iran reported on Monday that it had downed a "hostile" stealth drone with a new air defence system, according to Iranian news agencies, without specifying the drone's origin. Iran's top negotiator and foreign minister were in Doha for discussions with Qatar's prime minister on a potential agreement to end the three-month conflict, an official briefed on the visit told Reuters.

Rubio said in New Delhi that the United States would pursue diplomacy before considering other options. In a Truth Social post on Monday, President Donald Trump stated that talks with Iran were proceeding "nicely" but warned of further attacks if unsuccessful. He wrote that the outcome "will only be a Great Deal for all, or no Deal at all."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel would increase strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel's military reported attacks on Hezbollah infrastructure in the eastern Bekaa Valley and other areas. Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a ceasefire in mid-April, though Israel has continued operations it describes as self-defence against Hezbollah, which did not participate in the truce.

The official briefed on the Doha visit said the talks addressed the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Iran's central bank governor also participated to discuss potential release of frozen Iranian funds as part of any agreement. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated that nuclear issues would be addressed only after a framework accord. Trump has identified preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon as a primary objective; Iranian officials have stated they have no such plans.

Baghaei said the potential deal included no specific provisions on management of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran would not impose tolls but would charge for services such as navigation and environmental protection under a protocol to be agreed with Oman. Japan's Nikkei newspaper, citing a Middle East diplomatic source, reported discussions of opening the strait approximately 30 days after a deal to end hostilities.

Since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to a few dozen per day from a prior average of 125 to 140. The reduction has contributed to higher oil prices and increased costs for fuel, fertiliser and food. In early Asian trade on Tuesday, U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose slightly from Monday's close but remained down 5.5 percent from Friday's level.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Additional reporting by Akanksha Khushi, Doina Chiacu, Ariba Shahid, Hatem Mater, Andrew Mills, Elwely Elwelly, Michael Martina and Parisa Hafezi; Writing by Jan Wolfe and Stephen Coates; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)