US-Iran Talks Intensify Amid Ongoing Strikes

Efforts to reach a preliminary deal between Iran and the US have intensified, according to Iranian sources and a European official. Despite ongoing strikes launched by both sides, discussions are underway over a mechanism for releasing frozen Iranian funds.

The Iranian government is seeking $6 billion to $12 billion of its oil revenues, currently locked in foreign banks. Washington wants to release funds in stages, specifically for humanitarian goods, but rejects returning the money directly to Iran.

For Tehran's clerical establishment, the priority is not a comprehensive settlement but a framework that would restore minimum breathing space by unlocking frozen assets and ending the conflict.