AGENCIES

A senior research fellow at the Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies said the Iranians have not confirmed a second round of talks with the US.

“However, there are efforts by regional players, specifically the mediators, in order to be moving in that direction,” Abas Aslani told Al Jazeera.

He said some Iranians believe the US is hinting at talks to ease shock to the global oil market following its blockade on Iranian ports. Iran considers the blockade a violation of the ceasefire, and this “can complicate the situation”, he said.

“The ceasefire, which is currently in place, is a very fragile one, and it is shaking because Israelis are attacking Lebanon, and the United States is implementing the blockade to somehow exacerbate the situation,” Aslani said.

“We are waiting to see what will be the reaction from Iran, inside, to the recent blockade by the United States.”

If talks do take place, “it could be possible to reach a kind of understanding on the remaining sticking points, given that [the delegations] might be coming to the new venue with, let’s say, political decisions”, he added.

The US-sanctioned tanker Rich Starry made its way back to the Strait of Hormuz yesterday after exiting the Gulf the day before, shipping data showed, failing to break through a US blockade on vessels calling at Iranian ports.

“During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the US blockade,” the US Central Command said on X, adding that six vessels complied with direction from US forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port.

The Chinese-owned tanker was among at least eight ships crossing the waterway on Tuesday, reports Reuters.

A US destroyer stopped two oil tankers attempting to leave the Iranian port of Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday, a US official said.

The Rich Starry and its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co, were placed under US sanctions for dealing with Iran.

The company could not be reached for immediate comment.

The Rich Starry is a medium-range tanker carrying about 250,000 barrels of methanol that was loaded at the port of Hamriyah in the United Arab Emirates, Kpler data showed.

Another US-sanctioned vessel, the Very Large Crude Carrier Alicia, is entering the Gulf via the strait yesterday, LSEG data showed. The empty tanker, capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil, is heading to Iraq to load a cargo today, Kpler data showed.