Senior US and Iranian officials said on Saturday they could be close to a breakthrough in talks to strike a draft deal to end the war in the Middle East. Iran said gaps remain between the parties, and the dispute over its nuclear programme would not be part of the initial talks.But US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism, just as Pakistan's army chief, a key go-between between the United States and Iran, left Tehran after two days of talks with senior Iranian leaders.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope of progress on ending the war with Iran, as he looked to Pakistani mediators to help advance efforts to strike an agreement. Previous…

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope Thursday that a visit by Pakistan’s army chief to Iran will advance diplomacy on ending the war, saying there