US President Donald Trump said on Monday that there is "positive momentum" toward bringing the war with Iran to an end, according to Sky News. The remark was reported by the British broadcaster on Monday evening.
In the same remarks, Trump said the United States could carry out strikes on Iran "anytime we want," Al Jazeera reported. The two statements together suggest Washington is keeping military pressure in place while leaving room for a diplomatic outcome.
CNN reported that the US and Iran have been negotiating quietly while the Middle East remains tense. Bloomberg reported that Trump described new strikes as unlikely, and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticised Iran's demands in the talks.
The comments moved energy markets. The Wall Street Journal reported that oil futures fell after Trump said fresh strikes on Iran were unlikely, a sign traders read his remarks as pointing toward de-escalation.
The reporting does not include details of what a settlement might involve, the terms under discussion, or a timeline. Sky News did not say where or in what setting Trump made the comments.
What to watch next: whether the quiet talks produce any public framework, and whether oil markets hold their losses as the negotiations continue.
