Overview
- President Donald Trump has said negotiations with Iran will resume, framing talks as a route to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address Iran's nuclear program.
- Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei and a parliamentary security spokesman publicly denied any talks with the United States, saying the government is not negotiating with Washington.
- Officials said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is unavailable because he is traveling to Najaf for a Shia pilgrimage and that the rest of Iran's negotiating team remains in the country.
- U.S. officials have set narrow preconditions reported earlier, including public Iranian renouncement of attacks on shipping and the transfer or accounting of enriched uranium, while Iran stresses lifting primary and secondary sanctions and return of frozen assets as priorities.
- Oman is reported to be acting as an intermediary and markets have already shown sensitivity to the dispute, with previous escalations and hopes for talks driving spikes and falls in oil prices and shipping costs.