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Whether the U.S. and Iran are holding peace talks is becoming more uncertain after new drone attacks overnight.
President Donald Trump says the countries are talking, but he told reporters he’s prepared to take action if efforts break down.
“We’re having good talks so we’ll see what happens,” Trump said aboard Air Force One Monday. “I think that there’s a good chance that something could happen, but if it does, good. If it doesn’t, we’ll go back to doing what we were doing two days ago.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Tuesday that it denied a U.S. proposal to meet.
Drone attacks intercepted
The debate over talks comes amid reports of new drone attacks in the Middle East, with a U.S. base among the targets.
The Jerusalem Post reports Iranian-backed armed factions attempted overnight drone strikes targeting the U.S. military base known as Tower 22 near the Syrian-Jordanian border.
Jordan’s state news agency says its military shot down a drone that breached the country’s airspace early Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, Israel says it also intercepted an unmanned aircraft near the Jordanian border, noting its investigating its launch origin.
Strait of Hormuz talks
Despite Iran denying talks with the U.S., the country says it’s still working with Oman to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route that’s had a significant impact on the price of oil.
“The negotiations that we have, and which may genuinely be subject to different interpretations, are the negotiations we have with Oman,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said. “They are focused on creating the necessary arrangements regarding the Strait of Hormuz.”
State media said Iran and Oman held meetings this week, and during the calls, “they stressed the need to strengthen cooperation and advance joint diplomatic efforts to establish stability in the region and eliminate the insecurity imposed on the Strait of Hormuz due to the aggressive actions of the United States.”
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