U.S.-Iran Talks Near Interim Deal as Gulf Official Sets 50:50 Odds

A Gulf official briefed on the negotiations put the chances of a U.S.-Iran agreement by Friday at 50:50 and said Iran's delegation does not include hard-line Revolutionary Guard voices, which would still need to approve an interim deal. Earlier reports said Washington, Tehran and Oman were closing in on a temporary arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume broader nuclear talks. One report said Iranian leaders had approved the draft and Washington aimed for Wednesday; another said negotiators had finalized it but still awaited Iran's supreme leader. The negotiations affect the war involving Israel and shipping through a waterway that previously carried about one-fifth of global oil and gas.