Shafaq News- Washington

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday maintained that a US-Iran agreement remains within reach despite recent American strikes in southern Iran, as negotiations between Tehran and Washington continued in Doha.

Speaking to reporters aboard his plane, Rubio indicated that negotiators are working through specific wording in the draft framework of the deal, noting that finalizing the text could take “a few days.”

“The straits have to be open, they’re going to be open one way or the other,” he added, describing the recent US strikes as defensive.

Despite a ceasefire in place since early April, US Central Command (CENTCOM) revealed it had carried out fresh strikes designed “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.”

The strikes targeted missile launch sites and Iranian boats “that were attempting to lay mines,” according to a statement released by CENTCOM, which stressed that US forces would continue operating “with restraint” during the ongoing ceasefire.

Reuters previously disclosed that Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in the Qatari capital, Doha, to discuss the possibility of reaching a deal between Tehran and Washington.

The discussions focused primarily on the Strait of Hormuz and highly enriched uranium. The governor of the Central Bank of Iran is also part of the delegation, with talks expected to address the possible release of frozen Iranian funds as part of a final agreement.