Rubio says Iran deal remains within reach despite strikes

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiators were still working through the wording of an initial draft agreement and that finalising the terms could take several days due to ongoing discussions over specific language, AFP reported.  

He said it was important to keep strategic waterways open, adding that the straits would remain accessible “one way or another”.

CNN quoted a US official as saying the recent strikes against Iran were a defensive response rather than part of a broader planned offensive.