John Bolton expected to plead guilty in classified documents case, sources confirm

Just nowPaulin KolaUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio says US and Iranian negotiators have "a pretty solid thing on the table" and a deal between the two countries may be reached on Monday. "We're still a work in progress," Rubio said during a visit to India. He was speaking after President Donald Trump said he had instructed negotiators "not to rush into a deal", after earlier suggesting one was close. It reportedly involves a 60-day ceasefire extension, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a plan for further negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.Oil prices fell sharply and Asian stock markets rose on Monday on hopes of an agreement."We're still a work in progress. As I said, you know, we thought we might have some news last night. Maybe today," Rubio said on Monday in the Indian capital, Delhi."So we have, what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the Straits," he said referring to the Strait of Hormuz - the crucial waterway where 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes and which Iran has been blocking.Cautioning "I wouldn't read too much into it", Rubio said: "It takes a little while to hear back from Iran."CBS News, the BBC's US partner, has reported that US intelligence believes Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei - who was injured in an Israeli strike on the first day of the war which killed his father and predecessor - is holed up in an undisclosed location, making communication with his envoys difficult and therefore delaying pace of talks with the US.Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said at the weekend the two sides were both "very close and very far" from reaching an agreement. According to US media, the mooted deal is not a final settlement and instead leaves some of the thorniest issues to be negotiated later, including the scope and timing of Iranian sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian funds, and Washington's demands for Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions.The reported deal has split Trump's Republicans, with some publicly arguing it is too lenient on Iran. Senator Ted Cruz said it would be "a disastrous mistake", while Roger Wicker, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said a 60-day ceasefire would mean "everything accomplished by Operation Epic Fury would be for naught!"Senator Lindsey Graham, who is a close Trump ally, also criticised any deal that would leave Iran perceived as being a dominant force in the region."It makes one wonder why the war started to begin with," he said.Trump responded by saying he did not "listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about"."If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one," he wrote on Truth Social.Even in a best case scenario, the effects of a deal are unlikely to be seen right away.It could be months before the shipping industry will be able to go back to supply chains that are "physically in the same shape as they were before the crisis", Lars Jensen, chief executive of Vespucci Maritime and former director of shipping company Maersk, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.Should a deal between Iran and the US be announced in the coming days, the industry would still remain "cautious and hesitant" to make any "major operational changes", Jensen explained.The US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February, sparking conflict across the Middle East. Iran responded by attacking Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf, and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. The move sent oil prices soaring globally.Shortly after a ceasefire was agreed in early April, the US established a blockade of Iranian ports, which Trump says will remain "in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed". In Sunday's post on Truth Social, Trump reiterated that Iran "must understand" it cannot develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran has repeatedly said its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes.Some r

Just nowVikas Pandey and Nikhil InamdarDelhi and MumbaiReutersUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive in India on Saturday for a four-day visitUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India on Saturday for a four-day visit amid geopolitical crosswinds and a global energy crisis triggered by the Iran war.He arrived in the eastern city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) in the morning local time. His busy itinerary also includes visits to Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. He is also due to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with energy likely to be high on the agenda.Energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz - a narrow shipping lane that has become a flashpoint since Israel and the US attacked Iran in February - have virtually ground to a halt.Iran has used the closure of the strait as a pressure tactic in the fragile peace negotiations with the US.India, which imports more than 80% of its energy needs, is one of the worst affected countries as its vast population of more than 1.4 billion depends on overseas fuel supply, including cooking gas and petroleum products, to sustain daily life.Rubio has already acknowledged the challenges facing Asia's third largest economy."We want to sell them [India] as much energy as they'll buy. And obviously, you've seen, I think, we're at historic levels of US production and US export," he said.There will be appetite in Delhi to boost its energy imports from the US as it will also help bridge the trade deficit that has been in India's favour - something that has constantly irked President Donald Trump.The US goods trade deficit with India was $58.2bn in 2025, a 27.1% increase over 2024.But it's not a straightforward solution. It's a much longer and expensive route for India to get energy shipments from the US.And analysts say it is not logical for India to fill the current shortfall in its imports from the US.Getty ImagesTrump earlier said India has committed to buying more than $500bn worth of American goods "Energy security is going to be the key theme of this visit because the Iran situation is not going to be resolved anytime soon. The US has already given a waiver to India on buying Russian oil, but Delhi is likely to push for more concessions," Vineet Prakash, associate professor of US studies at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, said.Rubio's visit also comes under the shadow of prolonged tensions between Delhi and Washington over trade negotiations and conflicting claims on who settled the brief India-Pakistan conflict last year.While Trump has repeatedly claimed that he brokered peace between the neighbours, Delhi has consistently denied it with its stated policy of not welcoming a third party to mediate between the nuclear-armed nations in South Asia.What also appears to have displeased Delhi is Trump's open affection for Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, whom the US president has called his "favourite field marshal".Prakash added this wasn't surprising as Pakistan shares a long border with Iran and it's strategically important for the US to keep the country close.But Rubio is not likely to make statements around Pakistan on this trip."Any talks around Pakistan are likely to stay behind closed doors when Rubio meets leaders in Delhi," Prakash added.AFP via Getty ImagesExports from India to the US sharply fell across sectors, including textiles, after tariffs were imposedMeanwhile, the last few months have also seen Washington and Delhi offering an olive branch to each other.Trump's decision to lower reciprocal tariffs on India earlier this year from 50% to 18% after a 10-month impasse was met with a huge sense of relief in Delhi. Following a Supreme Court verdict against his sweeping duties, the levies were reduced to 10%, further easing pressure on Indian exporters.The two sides are currently negotiating the final text of a broader bilateral deal, but further details of the negotiations remain sketchy.Trade experts, meanwhile, are circumspect about the big numbers being throw