US military strikes mine-laying boats and missile sites in Iran, Rubio signals that a deal could take a few days

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday negotiating a deal with Iran could, "take a few days," quashing hopes for an imminent end to the conflict a day after US forces conducted what Washington called defensive strikes in southern Iran.

Describing the strikes against targets including boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites, Rubio said the Strait of Hormuz has to be open, "one way or the other."

"The straits have to be open, they're going to be open one way or the other, so they need to be open," Rubio told reporters on his plane in India's Jaipur.

Despite a ceasefire in place since early April, US Central Command said in a statement on Monday it had carried out fresh strikes designed, "to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces."