The destroyed building of Shajare Taebeh Elementary School surrounded by rubble is photographed on August 10, 2026 in Minab, Hormozgan Province, Iran. Six months later, an AFP team of journalists gained rare access to the school, which remains largely abandoned. Iranian flags fly above the rubble, and collapsed walls and twisted steel beams are now surrounded by portraits of the slain children. Iran has claimed that two US Tomahawk missiles were involved in the attack on the school, but neither the US nor Israel has officially claimed responsibility for the attack. (Photo credit: ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images) /
Atta Kenare | AFP | Getty Images
U.S. and Iranian officials reportedly held separate indirect talks with mediators on Monday, reviving efforts to end the seven-month war as Tehran presses for a revised ceasefire framework and Middle East oil exports reach their highest level since the conflict began.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragushi met with Qatari mediators in New York, where he remained after the UN General Assembly, and reportedly said he expected a response from the US government by Tuesday. “We discussed ideas and ways to find solutions to meet Iran’s conditions,” Aragushi said, adding that he plans to return to Tehran once he receives a response. “Whenever the Qataris have a response, they know how to get it to us.”
Iran’s proposal, first presented on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly last week, calls for the US to schedule within four to five days for the release of frozen Iranian funds, lifting sanctions on Iranian oil and lifting the naval blockade of Iranian ports, and to start nuclear negotiations within seven days. The Iranian government has linked the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to these measures.
President Donald Trump rejected the plan on Sunday, calling it “unacceptable” and telling reporters that Iran wants a quick deal because it is under economic pressure. Speaking at the White House on Monday, President Trump said U.S. officials had spoken privately with the arbitrators, but gave no further details, adding: “We’re going to win. It’s going to happen pretty quickly.”
The diplomatic boost came as physical supply data showed the damage to the oil market from the war was easing. Middle East crude exports rebounded this month, reaching near their highest level since the war began in February, Kupler data showed. “Middle East crude oil exports have reached just under 80% of pre-conflict levels,” the tracking firm said in a note on Monday.
The Strait of Hormuz itself remains far from normal. According to Kpler’s real-time tracker, total transit through the Strait on Saturday was 10,591 kilobarrels per day, compared with the pre-war standard of 17,133 kilobarrels.
The unresolved conflict has also affected the U.S. fuel market, with retail diesel prices hovering near record highs of $6.53 per gallon. Kpler estimates that the Trump administration is considering another ban on exports, days after walking away from its initial plan, which would leave about 1.2 million barrels a day in the country, risking massive storage.
