According to a recent Bloomberg report , Iran denies that its intelligence ministry has proactively contacted the United States in an attempt to negotiate an end to the Middle East conflict. The New York Times earlier reported that Iranian intelligence agents contacted the CIA indirectly on Sunday to discuss ceasefire terms. However, Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency, citing sources within the intelligence ministry, strongly refuted this claim, calling it "pure lies and psychological warfare."
Bloomberg further noted that international oil prices briefly rose after the denial, but quickly gave back those gains. Traders' attention shifted to the US plan to have oil tankers escorted by the Navy through the Strait of Hormuz—a vital global energy chokepoint whose shipping volumes have plummeted since the Israeli-US attack on Iran on Saturday, igniting a war.
Currently, both Iran and the United States have publicly stated their intention to continue the war, increasing the risk of a protracted conflict in the Middle East. Since the outbreak of the war, more than 1,000 people have died (most of them Iranians), and global energy prices have soared as a result.
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