President Donald Trump claims the United States is holding productive negotiations with Iran to end the ongoing war, even as missile strikes and military deployments escalate across West Asia, France24 reports.
Why it matters: The sudden diplomatic push directly impacts regional security and global energy markets as Washington temporarily halts strikes against Iranian power infrastructure, France24 reports.
- Trump stated that the U.S. and Iran share major points of agreement to settle the conflict, CurrentsAPI.
- The U.S. extended a self-imposed deadline for Iran to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, Newsapi.
- Pakistan has offered to host the diplomatic negotiations between the two nations, France24.
What they're saying: Iranian officials have firmly denied that any negotiations are currently underway, dismissing the diplomatic claims from Washington as a bluff, France24.
- Tehran state media claimed that the American president was backing down following earlier military threats, New York Times World.
- U.S. troops and Marines continue deploying to the region as Iran fires missile salvos at Israel, BusinessLine.