Iran has denied a report that its intelligence ministry has reached out to the US to negotiate an end to the Middle East war.
The New York Times reported that Iranian agents indirectly contacted the Central Intelligence Agency on Sunday to discuss the terms of ending the conflict. This is “pure lies and psychological warfare,” the semi-official Tasnim news agency said, citing a ministry source.
Oil rose briefly after the rejection, though it quickly reversed those gains as traders focused on a US plan to let its naval escort tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Since the outbreak of war on Saturday with Israeli and American strikes on Iran, traffic has dropped through the throttle. Brent was down 0.2% at $81.24 a barrel at 3pm in London.
Both Iran and the US have publicly vowed to continue fighting, raising the prospect of a protracted war in the Middle East. So far, over 1,000 people have been killed – mostly in Iran – and energy prices have soared.
