Middle East crisis live: Rubio says US-Iran agreement ‘pretty solid’ as oil price falls amid optimism for deal

Marco Rubio also told reporters in New Delhi that “Israel always has a right to protect itself”.

“If Hezbollah is going to launch missiles or launches missiles at them, Israel has every right to respond to that, or to prevent that from happening,” the US secretary of state was quoted as saying.

double quotation markThat’s always been understood. It’s being understood during the ceasefire.”

Israel and Hezbollah have continued trading strikes during the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which began on 16 April and was recently extended by 45 days.

The potential deal between the US and Iran to their war also reportedly requires Israel to end its offensive in Lebanon.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Donald Trump had reaffirmed his support for Israel’s right “to defend itself against threats on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.

Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Monday that a deal to end the war with Iran could materialise “today”.

His comments came after oil prices plunged and Asian shares rose earlier in the day amid optimism that the US and Iran were close to an agreement that might secure a lasting end to the three-month war and reopen the strait of Hormuz. Oil prices hit a two-week low, with Brent crude futures falling 4.5% to $98.83 a barrel by 11.50pm GMT.

“We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today – I wouldn’t read too much into it,” Rubio said in New Delhi of a potential agreement.

“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. “It has a lot of support in the Gulf.”