‘Maybe today’: Rubio hints US-Iran deal could be soon

Thanks for joining us for our live coverage of the Middle East conflict for today, May 25.

Here are the biggest events from the day:

President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio both hinted that a war-ending deal with Iran may be imminent; however, any news of negotiations that might reopen the Strait of Hormuz could still be days away.

Rubio said today that a "pretty solid deal" is on the table, which includes discussions around nuclear matters, and that Iran has caused the delay in striking a deal.

Iran's president earlier claimed the country is ready to reassure the world that it does not seek a nuclear weapon.

Trump, meanwhile, has ordered the White House not to rush into an agreement.

Locally, the prime minister said Australia's fuel supplies are healthier than they were when the war began in late February, with 48 ships on their way to our coast.

Rubio has assured reporters that Trump won't strike an unfavourable deal, before blaming Iranian authorities for the delay in any news.

"You've got to hear back, and it takes the Iranian system a little while longer to get back," Rubio explained.

"The president is not going to make a bad deal – he's just not."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has touted his government's hopes of securing a deal with Iran to open up the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that an agreement could be struck as soon as "today".

Rubio told reporters during his visit to India that a "pretty solid" proposal is on the table and that there is a strong chance Iran would enter into a "very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matters".

"We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today, I wouldn't read too much into it," Rubio said in New Delhi.

"Hopefully we can pull it off. It has a lot of support in the Gulf. It has a lot of support globally.

"Every country that we've walked through it, understands it's not just very reasonable but it's the right thing for the world to get done."

Three Palestinian fishermen were injured yesterday after Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on their vessel in the seas off Gaza City.

The Palestinian Information Centre shared footage of the attack in a post on X.

Al Jazeera reports all three men were wounded in the attack.

The Gaza Human Rights Centre has previously claimed Israeli naval vessels have repeatedly targeted fishermen in the waters near the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken alongside Energy Minister Chris Bowen, announcing that fuel supplies are greater now than they were on February 28 - when the US and Israel attacked Iran.

There are 43 days of petrol (up by five more days), 38 days of diesel (up by six more days) and 31 days of jet fuel (up by two days).

Albanese said this was "good news for Australia" but warned of continuing economic volatility.

"While the conflict is a long way from home, we are not immune to its impacts, and the longer the conflict goes on, the more enduring the impact will be the economic tail," he said following a virtual National Cabinet meeting.

"We are very hopeful that the positive signs of a de-escalation and peace in the region will lead to a conclusion that is in the global economy's interests, and it is therefore in Australia's interests as well."

Bowen added that there are currently 48 ships on their way to Australia, with 3.4 billion litres to be delivered over the next four weeks.

A bystander who was struck by gunfire after a man fired on a checkpoint outside the White House and was fatally shot by US Secret Service officers remains in serious but stable condition.

The Secret Service said the bystander, who has not been identified, suffered a gunshot wound described as not life-threatening. It was not clear how he was shot.

Authorities have released few additional details about the early Saturday evening (Sunday AEST) shooting.

The District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department said the suspect, identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, started shooting toward a White House security checkpoint when Secret Service officers returned fire. Best, Maryland, was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Talks between the US and Iran have been slowed down partly because the supreme leader is running affairs from an isolated location that hampers communication inside the Iranian regime.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei "is effectively holed up in an undisclosed location with little access to the outside world and is only reached by a labyrinth of couriers," reports CBS News, which spoke with US officials.

They said the holdups in reaching Khamenei "means there can be a long delay before the US receives a response" after it sends proposals, and "every piece of information he receives is dated and there's a lot of latency to his responses".

There have been few sightings of Khamenei who has been taking extraordinary precautions to avoid US and Israeli strikes that killed his father and former supreme leader early in the war.

Iran's president has said the country is ready to reassure the world it does not seek a nuclear weapon.

"Prior to the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's late Leader, we declared — and we reiterate now — that we are ready to assure the world we do not seek nuclear weapons," Masoud Pezeshkian said in remarks published by state media.

He blamed Israel for inciting disruption and instability in the region.

A senior Trump administration official says the framework agreement between the US and Iran is a case of "trust but verify on steroids".

The official told CNN that the potential agreement would see Iran agree to not pursue nuclear weapons, and to give up its enhanced uranium.

"The important part of how this is structured is, if Iran doesn't perform, they don't get anything," the official said.

"No dust? No dollars. As the Strait (of Hormuz) opens, the blockade loosens proportionately."

The price of Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, has fallen nearly 1.5 per cent to about US$99 a barrel.

The drop comes as the US and Iran are negotiating a deal that would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which has remained effectively closed to oil flows since the start of the war on February 28.

About 20 per cent of all oil supplies pass through the strait.

JPMorgan analysts expect oil prices to average US$97 a barrel through the rest of the year, if the waterway is reopened early next month.