The US and Iran are discussing a plan to open the Strait of Hormuz about 30 days after the two countries reach a deal to end hostilities, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Monday citing a Middle East diplomatic source.

Iran would proceed to clear mines from the strait during a 30-day window following an agreement, after which ships from all countries would be able to navigate freely and safely, and Iran would stop collecting transit fees, Nikkei said.

The ceasefire agreed in early April would be extended for 60 days, with the plan to hold talks on Iran's nuclear program during the two-month pause, the report added.

When Donald Trump set out his latest vision for a sweeping Middle East realignment, there was one person's name missing in a plethora of Presidents, Prime Ministers and Kings mentioned in the American leader's social media post.

In a lengthy statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said negotiations with Iran were "proceeding nicely" and framed the moment as a potential turning point. He warned that failure would mean a return "to the battlefront... bigger and stronger than ever before," but argued that success could produce a historic agreement anchored in an expanded framework of the Abraham Accords.

He wrote that, during discussions with regional leaders -- including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Jordan's King Abdullah II, and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa -- he had urged that all should "simultaneously" sign on to the accords.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations must normalize ties with Israel as part of efforts to reach a deal with Iran, adding fresh uncertainty into protracted peace negotiations.

Progress on a deal to end the conflict that broke out in late February has slowed as both sides talked down the prospect of an imminent agreement, with Tehran saying they were not close to signing and Trump warning he was in no hurry.

In another hurdle for any deal, the US leader said it should be mandatory for Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey and Jordan to sign up to the Abraham Accords, a set of agreements brokered in 2020 with nations historically hostile to Israel.

"After all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords," he wrote in a lengthy social media post.

US President Donald Trump on Monday urged Muslim-majority nations including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan to normalize relations with Israel as part of the Iran peace deal.

In a lengthy social media post, Trump listed countries whose leaders he spoke with on Saturday about efforts to end the war with Iran, adding: "I stated that, after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords."

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday that conclusions have been reached on many topics discussed in a potential 14-point memorandum of understanding, but this does not mean a deal to end the Middle East war is imminent.

The framework is focused on an end to the war and a US naval blockade in exchange for Tehran taking steps to ensure safe transit in the Strait of Hormuz, said the spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei.

A high-level Iranian delegation that includes the country's top negotiator and central bank chief were in Doha on Monday to discuss a peace agreement with the US and the release of frozen funds, a source briefed on the matter told AFP.

"Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Doha earlier today for talks on ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict," the source said, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

The visit will focus, the source added, "on issues relating to the Strait and highly enriched uranium. The Central Bank governor is part of the delegation to discuss the issue of frozen funds, which is addressed in the MoU as part of an eventual final deal".

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that a deal with Iran would either be "great and meaningful" or there would be "no deal."

"The deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal," he wrote on Truth Social.

Iran and the United States played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough in the three-month-old war on Monday, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying there will either be a good agreement or Washington would deal with the country in "another way."

Rubio told reporters in New Delhi that the U.S. would give diplomacy every chance to succeed before exploring "alternatives", after President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had told his representatives not to rush into any Iran deal.

There was a "pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the strait, get the strait open, enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter, and hopefully we can pull it off," Rubio said.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Iran was negotiating an end to the war and was not currently discussing nuclear issues.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday that conclusions have been reached on many topics discussed in a potential memorandum of understanding with the US, but this does not mean Tehran is close to signing an agreement.

The spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, added that Iran is negotiating an end to the war and is not currently discussing nuclear issues, and repeated that changes in the positions of US officials create problems for any agreement.

Khamenei, who was injured in US and Israeli strikes in Operation Epic Fury, has not been officially seen or heard in public since before the start of the war. Media reports claim he is taking extreme measures to avoid the strikes similar to the ones

Experts point out that their shared backgrounds, careers and ideological outlook are the reasons why neither the war nor the collapse of the government and assassinations of around 50 top political and military leaders could paralyse Tehran.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that a deal to end the war with Iran could materialise "today", adding that Israel had the right to defend itself against attack.

"We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today, I wouldn't read too much into it," Rubio said in New Delhi, referring to the potential agreement.

"Israel always has a right to protect itself... if Hezbollah is going to launch missiles or launches missiles at them, Israel has every right to respond to that," he told reporters as he departed the Indian capital, where he has been on an official visit.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a deal to end the war with Iran could materialise on Monday, as President Donald Trump tempered expectations. The United States and Iran have observed a ceasefire since April 8 while mediators push for a negotiated settlement, although Iran has imposed controls on Gulf shipping and the US has blockaded Iran's ports.

"We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today, I wouldn't read too much into it," Rubio said in New Delhi, referring to the potential agreement.

"We have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the straits, get the straits open," he told reporters in the Indian capital, where he has been on an official visit.

Rubio's remarks come after Trump said Sunday that he had told his negotiators not to "rush" the deal, while both Washington and Tehran signalled progress towards an agreement.

"I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side," a Truth Social posted to the US president's official account said Sunday.

"The Blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified and signed."

In a separate post to Trump's Truth Social it read that the deal "has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the various other Countries."

Iran's Tasnim news agency said Sunday its information was that key clauses of a possible agreement remained "unresolved at this time," including the issue of frozen Iranian assets.

The war, which erupted after the United States and Israel attacked the Islamic republic on February 28 and saw Iran respond with missile and drone attacks across the region, has caused fluctuations in the market.

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Trump insisted the US blockade on Iranian shipping near the Strait of Hormuz would remain in place until an agreement "is reached, certified, and signed".

US President Donald Trump’s peace deal with Iran has run afoul of fellow Republicans who have voiced deep concerns over the move, contending that it would amount to recognising Tehran as a “dominant force” that required a “diplomatic solution”.

The Republican sceptics included Senator Roger Wicker, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senators Thom Tillis, Lindsey Graham, and Ted Cruz, who all questioned trusting Iran to stick to its commitments to the peace deal to end the nearly three-month war.

Surprisingly, Trump critic Senator Rand Paul counselled patience and urged critics to give the President space to find an America First solution.

Democrat senators also joined the critics of the peace deal, claiming that the president was “being played as a fool” and the emerging framework would merely amount to returning to the “pre-war status quo”.

Trump hit back at the critics, describing them as losers who were commenting on an issue they knew nothing about. He claimed that the deal under discussion was the exact opposite of the one agreed to under the leadership of then-President Barack Obama in 2015.

“If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one, not like the one made by Obama, which gave Iran massive amounts of CASH, and a clear and open path to a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday.

“Our deal is the exact opposite, but nobody has seen it, or knows what it is. It isn’t even fully negotiated yet. So don’t listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about,” Trump said.

US President Donald Trump thanked Gulf countries for their cooperation and support, suggesting that regional participation in the Abraham Accords could be expanded further and even floated the possibility of Iran joining the framework in the future.

The remarks come amid ongoing diplomatic signalling between Washington and Tehran, as global stakeholders continue to push for a renewed agreement addressing nuclear concerns and regional stability.

Earlier in a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump stated that an agreement had been "largely negotiated" between Tehran and Washington on the subject of finalisation of the deal between the two sides.

The United States is still refusing to accept certain clauses of a potential memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran on ending the war, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

Citing information obtained by its reporter, Tasnim said that despite some talks held between the two sides on Sunday, the United States is still obstructing certain clauses of the potential peace MoU, including the release of Iran's frozen assets.

It added that there is still a possibility that the MoU would be canceled, and Iran has stressed that it will not back down from its red lines in safeguarding the rights of its people.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was prepared to enter "into very serious talks" about Iran's nuclear programme if Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, according to a New York Times' report. The remarks suggested that Washington may take a phased approach and accept an interim agreement that did not immediately address Iran's nuclear programme.

"You can't do a nuclear thing in 72 hours on the back of a napkin," Rubio told the newspaper in a brief interview during his visit to New Delhi.

"The straits have to be immediately reopened, and then we will enter, under agreed-to parameters, into very serious talks about enrichment, about the highly enriched uranium and about their pledge to never have nuclear weapons...It can't take years, but it'll take some time to work through those technical matters," Rubio said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told The New York Times on Sunday that an agreement with Iran had garnered regional support but a nuclear deal couldn't be achieved "in 72 hours on the back of a napkin."

His comments came after US President Donald Trump told his negotiators "not to rush into a deal" with Iran to end the three-month war.

"We're not kicking it till later. Nuclear talks are highly technical matters. You can't do a nuclear thing in 72 hours on the back of a napkin," Rubio told the Times in a brief interview.

"So right now, we have seven or eight countries in the region that are endorsing this approach, and we're prepared to move forward on this approach," he said.

"The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side," Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social

"The Blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed. Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes! Our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one," he added

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US President Donald Trump Israel would remain free to act against threats in Lebanon during a phone call about an emerging agreement between Washington and Iran on Saturday, an Israeli source said.

Trump said Washington and Iran had "largely negotiated" a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping passage that has been effectively closed since the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran in February.

"In last night's conversation with President Trump, the Prime Minister emphasized that Israel will maintain freedom of action against threats in all arenas, including Lebanon, and President Trump reiterated and supported this principle," the Israeli political source told Reuters on Sunday, asking not to be named.

The United States and Iran could strike a deal to end the Middle East war as early as Sunday, Washington's top diplomat said, while Tehran insisted the agreement would do nothing to limit its nuclear programme.

Washington and Tehran have observed a ceasefire since April 8 while mediators push for a negotiated settlement, although Iran has imposed controls on Gulf shipping and the US has blockaded Iran's ports.

On Sunday, during a visit to India, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters: "I do think perhaps there is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer 'welcomed the progress' towards a deal to end US-Iran war.

The sale of Iranian oil, reopening of Strait of Hormuz and discussion on curbing Iran's nuclear program will remain the key constituents of a likely 60-day truce deal that Iran and the United States are close to reaching, per a report.

Axios reported that during the 60-day ceasefire, the critical marine chokepoint Strait of Hormuz will open without tolls and Iran will clear the mines it deployed in the waterway to allow the free and safe passage of ships.

On Washington's part, the US would lift its blockade on Iranian ports and waive some sanctions to allow unhindered sale of Iranian oil. Further, the US will be expected to lift sanctions on and unfreeze Iranian funds during the 60-day period, per Axios.

The draft includes a key point that has been at the centre of US-Iran tensions and failed talks since the February 28 conflict broke out - Iran's nuclear programme.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said an announcement was possible later Sunday on a deal with Iran.

"I do think perhaps there is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news," Rubio told reporters in New Delhi.

A liquefied natural gas tanker carrying a shipment for India has exited the Strait of Hormuz, the first for the country from the Persian Gulf since the Iran war began months ago as the region's exporters discreetly supply key buyers.

Adnoc Logistics & Services's Al Hamra tanker was spotted in the last day, loaded with a cargo and heading to western India, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The vessel stopped sending a signal around April 19 - but at that time it was empty and idling near the eastern entrance of Hormuz.

The tanker loaded a cargo at Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.'s Das Island export plant, which is in the Persian Gulf behind Hormuz, during the period it wasn't sending a signal, according to Kpler. Satellite images show that LNG tankers have been docking at Das Island, even though no tankers are broadcasting their positions near the plant.

Iran executed one person for charges related to sending information to the U.S. and Israel during the war, the Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency reported.

The individual, identified as Mojtaba Kian, was sending data about Iran's defense industry to "the enemy", according to the news agency.

A "largely negotiated" memorandum of understanding on an Iran peace deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump said, although the Iranian Fars news agency disputed that claim.

Trump posted on social media that the emerging agreement would reopen the strait, the vital shipping passage whose closure upended global energy markets after the conflict started in February. He did not say what else would be included in an agreement.

But Fars reported that the agreement would allow Iran to manage the Strait of Hormuz and that Trump's assertion on the strait was "inconsistent with reality."