Iran and the United States are moving within sight of a possible diplomatic framework to wind down a three-month conflict, but officials on both sides are openly acknowledging that the gaps between them remain wide and politically sensitive.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that Washington is still prioritizing diplomacy, but made clear it is not ruling out other options if talks collapse.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Rubio described the current state of negotiations as an opportunity to test whether a limited but structured deal can hold, particularly around maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and the start of a time-bound nuclear negotiation process.
Rubio said there is a “pretty solid thing on the table,” pointing to a possible sequence in which shipping access is gradually restored through the strait in exchange for steps on Iran’s nuclear program.
He framed the process as conditional and reversible, stressing that diplomacy would be given room to succeed before Washington considers what he called “alternatives.”
