Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiators are still working through language on an Iran agreement despite President Donald Trump saying a deal is largely complete.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that negotiations to end the Iran war are likely to require several more days, even as President Donald Trump has indicated that an agreement is close to completion.

Rubio made the comments as U.S. forces carried out strikes along the Iranian coast against forces accused of attempting to place mines in a critical waterway. The operations came amid continued talks over the terms of a possible agreement with Tehran.

“That may take a little while, I mean, a few more days,” Rubio told reporters. “I think it’s a lot of talking back and forth going on about specific language in the initial document.”

The secretary’s remarks suggested that negotiators are still working through the details of the proposed deal, even as Trump has said the framework is mostly finished.

Trump has said any agreement must include Iran abandoning its nuclear ambitions, a condition Tehran has not yet accepted.

Iran, meanwhile, has sought terms recognizing its control over the Strait of Hormuz, allowing it to retain its ballistic missile arsenal and providing sanctions relief.

The conflict began in late February with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Rubio’s comments underscored the remaining obstacles facing negotiators as military tensions continue near the Strait of Hormuz and both sides press competing demands over nuclear policy, sanctions, missiles and control of the strategic waterway.