Iran Sees Progress in Talks Amid Gulf Tensions

Iran said it reached a “general agreement” with the Trump administration on the basis of a potential nuclear deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state TV that each side will draft and exchange texts for an accord before setting a date for a third round of talks. But he cautioned that the next stage would be “more difficult and detailed.”

His comments however came amid military deployments in and around the Persian Gulf by the US and Iran. Tehran said today that it would close part of the Strait of Hormuz—a key choke point for the region’s energy exports—for several hours due to military drills. Donald Trump, who began his latest round of threats to attack Iran following uprisings there, has meanwhile sent a second aircraft carrier to the region. While Iran has threatened in the past to fully close the Strait of Hormuz, it has never done so.