India, May 26 -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that negotiations for a potential deal with Iran could take "a few days," even as the United States carried out fresh military strikes targeting Iranian boats and missile launch sites.

Speaking to reporters while travelling from Jaipur, Rubio said the Strait of Hormuz must remain open, stressing that it would be reopened "one way or another" as part of ongoing diplomatic and military pressure.

US Central Command confirmed that it had conducted what it described as defensive strikes aimed at protecting American forces, including targeting boats allegedly preparing to lay mines and missile infrastructure in southern Iran.

The developments come amid continued tensions in the regi...