The US appeared to be accelerating efforts to end the Iran war, though Tehran remained defiant, insisting it would not capitulate.
US President Donald Trump has told aides he expects the conflict to end within weeks, The Wall Street Journal reported, and his scheduling of a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in mid-May suggests the White House believes the fighting will be over by then.
Israel, meanwhile, has intensified its strikes against Iranian targets in an apparent belief that it is running out of time to do so. Washington and Tehran remained far apart in their respective demands, however, while stocks fell and oil rose on bets that the two sides were unlikely to reach a compromise soon.