Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated on Monday that Tehran has not sought to restart negotiations with Washington, despite ongoing mediation efforts facilitating communication between the two nations. Baghaei emphasized that direct talks with the US are currently nonexistent, describing such engagement as “not in our DNA.”
He further confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, with no alteration in the situation there. However, Baghaei noted that discussions between Iran and Oman regarding the management of the strait have been constructive. He also asserted that Iran will not permit the US to impose conditions on how the conflict concludes, while accusing certain Gulf countries of participating in Washington’s campaign against Iran, without elaborating.
Meanwhile, European stock markets experienced gains on Monday, with the pan-European STOXX 600 index rising by 0.8% to 649.34 as of 0706 GMT. This uptick followed a weekend pause in hostilities between the US and Iran, which boosted investor confidence. A senior Iranian official indicated that Iran would cease attacks if the US reciprocated, following Washington’s decision to suspend its bombing operations due to concerns over depleting its arsenal.
In energy markets, Brent crude futures fell by 6% to approximately $90 per barrel. Energy stocks declined by 2%, joining utilities as the only sectors to drop on the STOXX 600. Investors are also preparing for a critical week of earnings reports from major US technology companies, adding to market anticipation.
