Here is a snapshot of what’s happening with Iran, its prisoner deal with the US and energy markets.
(Bloomberg) — Here is a snapshot of what’s happening with Iran, its prisoner deal with the US and energy markets.
Latest developments
Tehran said a deal with the US aimed at releasing American prisoners and unfreezing sanctioned Iranian funds may be completed within seven weeks.
If successful, it “can be a constructive step on the path to the US’s return to the JCPOA,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a press conference on Monday. He was referring to a 2015 nuclear agreement that eased sanctions on Iran in return for it curbing nuclear activities.
US officials have recently said a return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which then-President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018, is a distant prospect.
Still, earlier this month, Iran moved several US detainees from prison to house arrest as part of secretive talks that include the unfreezing of $6 billion of Iranian assets held in South Korean banks, as well as the release of some Iranians jailed in the US.
Iran Reports Oil Spill That’s Spread Off Gulf Coast, IRNA Says
Kanaani underscored that tensions between the US and Iran remain high when he criticized Washington’s move to offload a seized tanker that’s got Iranian oil and is now in the Gulf of Mexico.
“The seizure and offloading of Iranian oil off the US coast is unconstructive and in contrast with the prisoners exchange deal,” he said.
Latest coverage
- For Global Oil Markets, a US-Iran Deal Is Already Happening
- US and Iran Rely on Shadow Diplomacy Where Open Deals Would Fail
Oil
Oil fell slightly on Monday even as China announced measures to boost its stock and property markets. Brent dropped around 0.4% to $84.17 a barrel as of 3:21 p.m. in Dubai.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.