Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a potential agreement with Iran could take days to finalize as Washington carried out new defensive strikes and tensions intensified over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Negotiations And Strikes Escalate

On Tuesday, Rubio told reporters that negotiations with Iran remain active but are not close to completion, saying a deal could "take a few days" as diplomatic efforts continue alongside military pressure, reported Reuters.

"The straits have to be open, they're going to be open one way or the other," Rubio said, referring to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil shipping routes.

U.S. Central Command said it launched defensive strikes targeting Iranian assets, including boats allegedly attempting to lay naval mines and missile launch sites.

The military said the operations were conducted "to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces."

Iranian media reported that Iranian forces downed a "hostile" drone using a newly deployed air defense system, though details were not independently confirmed.

Trump Expands Iran Peace Push

President Donald Trump said in a social media post that talks were progressing but warned of further action if negotiations fail.

"Will only be a Great Deal for all, or no Deal at all," he wrote.

He also said he had asked several Muslim-majority countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt, to join the Abraham Accords as part of a broader regional peace effort tied to ending the Iran conflict.

Last week, Iran denied reports that it had reached a nuclear agreement with the U.S.

Iranian sources said Tehran had made no commitments on its nuclear program, stockpiles, or facilities, despite Trump's claim that the two sides had "largely negotiated" a deal to end months of hostilities.