Iran denies Trump’s claim of fresh US talks

Iran has denied that it is engaged in new negotiations with the United States, despite claims by US President Donald Trump that fresh talks would begin. According to the Iranian foreign ministry, any discussions are currently focused on securing passage through the Strait of Hormuz with Oman.

The denial comes after Trump said he had postponed launching new strikes on Iran to allow for further diplomatic efforts. The conflict between the US and Iran has been ongoing for six months, with periods of relative calm punctuated by threats of renewed attacks.

Oil prices fell on Monday, with Brent crude down about 4.5% to just over $83 a barrel, after Iran’s foreign minister mentioned that discussions with Oman over management of the strait are in the final stages. Hellenic Shipping News reported a larger fall, of more than 6%, to three-week lows.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Hellenic Shipping News, Channel News Asia, Al-Monitor, Moneyweb — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.