US-Iran Talks Resume as Crude Exports Hit War-Time High
Indirect talks between US and Iranian officials have resumed as they push for an end to the seven-month war. The two sides met separately with mediators on Monday, according to reports.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Qatari mediators in New York, where he remained after the UN General Assembly, and reportedly said he expects Washington's reply by Tuesday. 'We talked about ideas and how to find solutions to fulfill Iran's conditions,' Araghchi said, adding that he planned to return to Tehran once a response arrives.
The Iranian proposal calls for a four- to five-day US timeline to release frozen Iranian funds, lift sanctions on Iranian oil, and end the naval blockade of Iranian ports. Nuclear talks would begin within seven days under this framework.
Middle Eastern crude exports rebounded this month to around their highest level since the war began in February, with total clearance through the Strait of Hormuz at 10,591 kilobarrels a day on Saturday, against a pre-war baseline of 17,133.