Iran Says Deal With U.S. Not Imminent Despite Progress in Talks

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said both sides have reached a framework in talks with the United States but declined to call a deal imminent. Baghaei added that management of the Strait of Hormuz belongs to the coastal states of Iran and Oman. He stated it is normal for services to require payment but emphasized that Tehran will not present any charges as tolls.

Harrison of the Middle East Institute said Iran is determined to hold on until it secures an economic lifeline, either through the strait or sanctions relief. Harrison noted that Iranians view the current period as one of survival and the rebuilding of deterrence.

Assistant professor Andrea Dessi at the American University of Rome described the talks as fluid, with some softening of positions on both sides. Dessi said movement away from long-standing red lines has occurred, though he cautioned that negotiators remain far from a breakthrough.

45 a barrel, the lowest level since May 7. Asian emerging-market equities rose, regional currencies strengthened, and spot gold climbed above $4,557 an ounce. Israeli forces struck the municipality of al-Haniyah and surrounding areas in southern Lebanon with incendiary bombs, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

The Israeli military separately reported a drone hit an area of troop operations in south Lebanon, with no injuries recorded. " — Ross Harrison, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, via Al Jazeera. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing as part of diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.