Anticipation in Iran as talks with US continue amid attacks, war of words

Tehran, Iran – Iran and the United States continue negotiations through intermediaries to reach an understanding, but no deal appears imminent after another exchange of fire amid an air of distrust. The US military said it hit missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to place mines in Iran’s southern waters, and Iranian state media reported that the country’s military fired back. Iranian state media also reported several casualties. But so far, there has been no breakdown of the fragile ceasefire that has been in place since April 8. The markets in Tehran appear to be expecting an understanding taking shape with Washington, with Iran’s national currency gaining more than 5 percent this week. The rial stood at about 1.73 million against the US dollar on Tuesday morning, which was still not far from an all-time low hit last month. The main index of the Tehran Stock Exchange also extended its gains this week, and shot back above 4 million points again on Tuesday morning after a controlled reopening a week earlier. The index had hit an all-time high of about 4.5 million points at the start of the year, but had plummeted after thousands were killed during nationwide protests in January, and war approached. The overall Iranian economy is under immense pressure as a result of local mismanagement and intensifying pressure from the US, including a naval blockade of Iran’s southern ports. …