US-Iran War News Highlights: 'Some Progress On Iran, But Not There Yet', Says Marco Rubio

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Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran to lead high-stakes mediation efforts alongside Qatari negotiators.

Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir is en route to Iran’s Tehran to conduct peace negotiations.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has issued a statement saying that 35 ships, including oil tankers and container vessels, have transited the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.

It said that these movements took place with the permission of and coordination with the IRGC navy.

Yesterday, the IRGC said 31 ships crossed the waterway in a 24-hour period.

Source told Al Arabiya that there is no alternative to an interim agreement between Washington and Tehran

🔴 Narrowing the gaps will not be easy as both sides have set high demands

🔴 Main obstacle in negotiations remains how to deal with Iran’s uranium issue

🔴 Source says US and Iran are still holding firm to their positions on uranium

🔴 Source says interim agreement between the US and Iran would ensure an end to the war

🔴 Source say major issues in any agreement will require a longer negotiation timeline

The final draft of a possible agreement between the United States and Iran, mediated by Pakistan, is expected to be announced within hours, according to Al Arabiya sources. Its key terms include the following:

• Final draft of possible US-Iran agreement mediated by Pakistan could be announced within hours.
• Immediate, comprehensive, unconditional ceasefire on all fronts, including land, sea, air.
• Mutual commitment not to target military, civilian or economic infrastructure.
• End to military operations and halt media war.
• Commitments to respect sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs.
• Guarantees freedom of navigation in the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
• Joint mechanism to monitor implementation and resolve disputes.
• Negotiations on outstanding issues would begin within seven days.
• Gradual lifting of US sanctions in exchange for Iran’s commitment to the terms of the agreement.
• Draft agreement reaffirms compliance with international law and UN Charter
• Agreement would take effect immediately once officially announced by both sides.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany is preparing to join a UK-led mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz, clarifying it’s not a NATO mission. He noted the US had already signaled troop shifts, citing this month’s announcement to withdraw about 5,000 troops over 6-12 months. Wadephul also welcomed Trump’s decision to deploy 5,000 additional US troops in Poland and said Germany wants the US to proceed with its original plan to deploy long-range missiles to Germany.

(Source: Al Jazeera)

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the alliance is getting stronger while reducing reliance on the US as foreign ministers met in Sweden. He said the shift lets the US focus on other priorities as European allies raise defense spending to match US levels and meet security needs.

His comments followed US criticism of some members not allowing base access during the Iran war. Rutte said European allies are meeting bilateral base-access commitments and noted their efforts in the Strait of Hormuz, adding "we can be maximum helpful as European allies with United States."

(Source: Al Jazeera)

Copper advanced with other base metals as optimism the US and Iran can reach a peace agreement supported risk assets.

The metal rose as much as 0.8% in London. Iran said the most recent proposals from the US narrowed the gap between the two sides, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there were “some good signs” a deal could be reached. However, sticking points remain, such as Tehran’s uranium stockpile and a dispute over tolls in the Strait of Hormuz.

(Source: Bloomberg)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said that despite 'good signs' in Iran talks, 'other options' remain on the table.

Being careful not to sound overtly optimistic, Rubio told reporters Thursday that while Pakistan and other regional allies are hard at work to bring a diplomatic resolution on Iran, with some officials travelling to Tehran today, Washington remains ready with alternative plans.

“The president's preference is to do a good deal. That's his preference. It's always been his preference. If we can get a good deal done, that would be great,” he said. “But if we can't get a good deal, the president's been clear he has other options.”

Rubio said that Iran's plan to toll Strait of Hormuz would make deal 'unfeasible'

Indian shares are likely to open little changed on Friday as oil prices hover around $105 per barrel, with investors awaiting progress in peace talks between the US and Iran. The two sides stuck to opposing stances on Thursday over Tehran's uranium stockpile and controls on the Strait of Hormuz, although U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there had been "some good signs" in talks.

The 50-stock index and the BSE Sensex are flat so far this week amid a lack of clear signs over where the Iran war is headed.

(Source: Reuters)

The White House argues that the requirements of the War Powers Resolution no longer apply because of the ceasefire with Iran. At the same time, Trump has said he was just an hour away from ordering another strike on Iran earlier this week, but held off because Gulf allies said they were engaged in negotiations to end the war.

Still, Trump said on social media that military leaders should “be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment's notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.” Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off.

Republicans struggled to find the votes to dismiss legislation that would compel President Donald Trump to withdraw from the war with Iran, delaying planned votes on the matter into June.

The House had scheduled a vote on a war powers resolution, brought by Democrats, that would rein in Trump's military campaign. But as it became clear that Republicans would not have the numbers to defeat the bill, GOP leaders declined to hold a vote on it.

Republicans are also working to ensure they have the votes to dismiss another war powers resolution in the Senate that advanced to a final vote earlier this week, when four GOP senators supported the resolution and three others were absent from the vote.

A Reuters report that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei directed Iran not to send its near-weapons-grade uranium abroad pushed oil prices higher, even as earlier signals pointed to progress. President Donald Trump then opposed efforts by Iran and Oman to create a permanent toll system through the Strait of Hormuz, telling reporters: “We want it open, we want it free, we don’t want tolls. It’s an international waterway. They are not charging tolls right now.”

Speaking to reporters at the White House, US President Donald Trump reverted to a more definitive tone about the US taking control of the uranium as part of any potential peace agreement with Iran. "We will get it. We don't need it. We don't want it," Trump said. "We'll probably destroy it after we get it, but we're not going to let them have it."

Last week, Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity he'd "just feel better if I got" the uranium, but that "it's more for public relations than it is for anything else."