Rubio says 'significant progress' made on Iran talks after Trump said deal 'largely negotiated'

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says "significant progress" has been made on Iran talks, but there is still "work to do"

Asked about the status of a possible Iran deal, Rubio says "there will be, maybe, more news coming out a little bit later today" but adds that he'll "leave it to the president (Trump) to make further announcements".

He says "some progress has been made - significant progress, although not final progress".

Rubio continues, saying that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. This, he says, is something US President Donald Trump has been clear on.

He adds the idea that the president would agree to a deal that would put Iran in a stronger position on the nuclear issue is "absurd".

Diplomatic channels to bring about an end to the war are the US's preference, he says, adding: "I think we've made some progress."

It's possible the world will get some good news over the next few hours, "at least in regards to the strait", Rubio adds.

He caveats by saying: "We still have some work to do". There is "good news" but "not final news", Rubio says.

Up next, it's a question from the BBC's Tom Bateman who asks about scrutiny over reports on the amount of schools that have been damaged in Iran since the outbreak of the war on 28 February.

Rubio says he's "not going to speak to military tactics, simply because that's not my department".

He says the US goals were "very clear", which were to destroy Iran's navy, its ability to launch ballistic missiles and damage its "defence industrial base".

"Those were the objectives of Epic Fury, those objectives were achieved," he says.

Speaking from a news conference in New Delhi a little earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the latest on the Iran war.

Here's what we heard:

• Rubio said "significant progress" had been made on a potential Iran deal, but "not final progress"
• He reiterated the US position that "Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon", calling the idea that Donald Trump would agree to this "absurd"
• He hinted at good news on the Strait of Hormuz, saying that progress over the past 48 hours - if it works - could result in a "completely open strait... without tolls"
• But, Rubio said that there was still "work to do", adding that he would leave it to Trump to make further announcements - which could be coming today

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has welcomed "the progress towards an agreement between the US and Iran", adding that it is "vital that Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon".

Writing on X this morning, shortly after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke in India, Starmer says: "We need to see an agreement that brings the conflict to an end and reopens the Strait of Hormuz, with unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation."

The PM says the UK government will do "everything we can" to protect British people from the impact of the war, adding that he would work with international partners to "seize this moment and achieve a long-term diplomatic settlement".