Iran has executed ⁠a man over charges ⁠related ​to ⁠the anti-government ⁠protests ​that ⁠took place nationwide ‌in January, ‌state media ‌reported this morning.

The individual was identified as Abbas ‌Akbari, ​according ‌to state media.

US secretary ​of state Marco Rubio said this morning that the US ⁠will either have a good agreement with Iran or deal ⁠with the ​country “another ⁠way.”

The US will give diplomacy ⁠every chance to ​succeed ⁠before exploring the “alternatives,” ‌Rubio told reporters in New Delhi.

There ‌is a “pretty solid ‌thing on the table in terms ⁠of their ability to open up the strait, get the strait open, enter into a very real, ‌significant, time-limited negotiation ​on the nuclear ‌matter, and ⁠hopefully we can ⁠pull it off,” Rubio ‌said.

The Israeli military ⁠said on Monday that ⁠one soldier ⁠was ⁠killed during combat ⁠in ‌southern Lebanon, adding that ‌an ‌additional soldier ⁠was severely injured in the incident and ‌evacuated to ‌hospital.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the latest fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

Additionally, 22 Israeli soldiers and a defence contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon, and two civilians have been killed in northern Israel, Tel Aviv said.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a social media post said he and Donald Trump have agreed that “any final agreement with Iran must eliminate the nuclear danger,” and that Trump had reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself “on every front, including Lebanon”.

The US official said the deal would guarantee Israel’s right to act against imminent threats in self-defence.

Israeli officials are concerned that Hezbollah remains a serious threat to Israel and that Lebanon is ill-equipped to disarm it.

A fragile, US-brokered ceasefire took effect in Lebanon on 17 April, but fighting has continued, mainly in the south.

Hezbollah has launched daily drone and rocket attacks on Israeli forces and northern Israel, and Israel has struck targets across Lebanon while its troops remain in large swaths of the south.

State-owned fuel retailers in India increased ⁠diesel prices by Rs2.71($0.028) ⁠per ​litre ⁠and petrol by Rs2.61 ($0.027), ⁠dealers ‌said today, the fourth ‌hike in ‌May as authorities ⁠try to recoup losses driven by higher crude costs due to ‌the ​Iran war.

This brought the effective price of petrol in the capital New Delhi to Rs102.12 or $1.07 and pushed diesel to Rs95.20 or $1.

Donald Trump has warned that Tehran “must understand” it cannot have a nuclear weapon as the two sides edge towards a potential peace deal.

The US says it is close to reaching an agreement with Iran that would end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with expectations rising that a breakthrough could be imminent.

However, while adopting a more positive tone on, following previous reports the US was considering further strikes against Iran, Trump said his team would “not be rushed”.

His comments came soon after the US secretary of state Marco Rubio suggested an announcement could be made “within hours”.

Oil ‌prices hit two-week lows on Monday on optimism that the US and Iran were moving closer towards a peace deal even though they remained ​at odds over key issues, including blockades on the ​Strait of Hormuz that continued to restrict oil supply ⁠from the Middle East.

Brent crude futures fell $4.71, or 4.55 per cent, to $98.83 ​a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate ​was at $92.03 a barrel, down $4.57, or 4.73 per cent.

Speaking about the draft Iran deal, US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said that “some progress has been made – significant progress, although not final progress”.

He hinted that “there will be, maybe, more news coming out a bit later today”. Rubio, who is speaking at a news conference with India’s foreign minister in New Delhi, emphasised that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.

He said that it was possible that further good news is to come “at least in regards to the Strait”.

• US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said that “some progress has been made – significant progress, although not final progress” about the draft Iran deal
• President Donald Trump has said he told his representatives not to rush into any deal with Iran, adding that the US blockade on Iranian ships on the Strait of Hormuz would “remain in full force and effect” until an agreement to end the war was reached
• Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian told state TV they were ready “to assure the world that we are not after a nuclear weapon”
• Oil ‌prices hit two-week lows on optimism that the US and Iran were moving closer towards a peace deal even though they remained ​at odds over key issues, including blockades on the ​Strait of Hormuz that continued to restrict oil supply ⁠from the Middle East