'Slight progress' in Iran talks: Rubio 

TEL AVIV, May 22: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday there was "slight progress" during talks with Iran amid uncertainty about whether a deal will be reached or war will resume.

He spoke days after US President Donald Trump said he was holding off on a military strike against the Islamic Republic because "serious negotiations" were underway. Trump has been threatening for weeks that the ceasefire reached in mid-April could end if Iran does not make a deal, with shifting parameters for striking such an agreement.

Rubio spoke ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, where the military alliance is expected to discuss what role it could play in helping police the Strait of Hormuz once the war is over.

Rubio said he did not want to exaggerate the progress, saying there had been "a little bit of movement and that's good." He said the conversations were ongoing. In recent weeks there have been repeated claims of progress, but a deal has stayed out of reach.

Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off. But he's also previously indicated he would hold off on military action to allow talks to continue - only to turn around and launch strikes. That's what happened at the war's outset, when he ordered strikes in late February shortly after indicating he would let talks play out.

He said he called off attacks on Iran this week at the request of allies in the Middle East, including the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who have been targeted by Iran and its allied militias.

But Trump's decision to give the talks a chance sparked tension with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
An official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media said Thursday that Trump and Netanyahu had a "dramatic" phone conversation Tuesday about the status of the Iranian negotiations and that Israel is angry with Trump's efforts to strike a deal with Iran.
Trump later told reporters that Netanyahu "will do whatever I want him to do."

The comments are some of the first public signs of daylight between the leaders since they launched the war.
On Friday, Pakistan said its interior minister traveled to Tehran twice this week to meet Iranian leaders. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the visits underscored Pakistan's efforts to promote peace between Iran and the US

He said Pakistan's mediation efforts are expected to be discussed when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif travels to China this weekend for a four-day visit. Still, major sticking points remain.    �"AP