Marco Rubio Drops A Major Hint For US-Iran Peace Deal Announcement

US officials signalled movement towards ending the Iran war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as diplomatic efforts gained pace on May 24, 2026. Hours after US President Donald Trump spoke about a near-complete deal with Tehran, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested more developments on Iran could emerge later the same day.

Trump had posted on Truth Social that Washington and Tehran were close to finalising an agreement designed to halt the Iran war and restore traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway’s closure since February, following the US and Israel’s offensive in Iran, has contributed to a global energy crunch.

Strait of Hormuz talks and US-India briefing

Rubio, visiting India on an official trip, addressed the situation during a joint press conference with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi. Rubio said that “Some progress has been made in the past 48 hours on an outline that could resolve the Strait of Hormuz situation,” and hinted at the possibility of “good news” within hours.

Trump’s Truth Social post stressed that the emerging plan was centred on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which is vital for oil shipments. However, Trump did not describe the wider terms. Trump wrote, “Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” leaving questions over what else the potential agreement covers.

Strait of Hormuz deal linked to Iran uranium stockpile

Shortly after Trump’s comments, The New York Times reported that Iran had agreed, in principle, to surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium as part of the broader peace framework. The newspaper, citing two unnamed US officials, said Tehran was prepared to hand over near-weapons-grade uranium under the evolving deal linked to the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the report, detailed arrangements for Iran’s highly enriched uranium, which Washington has long demanded be removed, were expected to be worked out in talks over the next 30 to 60 days. The suggested timeline pointed to a phased approach, with the ceasefire and shipping corridor issues potentially addressed first.

Soon after, a senior Iranian figure challenged the central claim in the New York Times report. The unnamed source told Reuters that Iran’s nuclear issue was not part of the preliminary understanding with the US. The source insisted that Tehran had not accepted any requirement to ship its highly enriched uranium stockpile out of the country at this stage.

The Iranian source, quoted by Reuters, stated, "The nuclear issue will be addressed in negotiations for a final agreement and are therefore not part of the current deal. There has been no agreement over Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile to be shipped out of the country." The comment suggested any nuclear concessions would come later, if agreed.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has assessed that Iran holds nearly 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent, close to weapons-grade level. As negotiations continue over the Iran war and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, diplomats now also face complex decisions over how, and when, to address this sensitive nuclear stockpile.