The US and Iran gave conflicting accounts of the results of their ongoing nuclear talks.
Tehran said the latest negotiations were “more constructive,” but US Vice President JD Vance said there had been no breakthrough, and that Tehran had failed to acknowledge core US demands, such as ending its enrichment of uranium. Iran’s stockpile is believed to be nearly pure enough to build a nuclear weapon.
The negotiations are taking place against a tense backdrop: Two US carrier groups are in the Gulf; Iran conducted live-fire military exercises as a show of force and temporarily closed the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices ticked higher on investor caution over whether a deal could ultimately be reached.