The US and Iran have made little progress in talks over an interim peace deal this week, with the sides seeing their worst clashes since an April ceasefire began and fighting continuing in Lebanon.
Skirmishes continued overnight between Hezbollah and Israel in southern Lebanon after the Iran-backed group rejected a US-brokered proposal aimed at securing a broader truce.
Even so, Hezbollah’s attacks on northern Israel have eased, while Israel has held off striking Beirut after threatening to do so earlier this week.
Iran insists on a ceasefire in Lebanon before accepting a deal with the US that’s meant to extend their truce by two months and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said negotiations are in the “final” stages without elaborating.
Brent crude edged up to near $96 a barrel and gold slipped lower in response to the ongoing uncertainty over the status of US-Iran talks.
