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Iranian officials have strongly dismissed claims of secret talks with the United States, amid ongoing tensions between the two nations. The reports, which surfaced recently, suggested that high-level discussions were underway to address key issues, including Iran's nuclear program and regional security concerns. However, Iranian authorities have firmly denied these allegations, stating that there have been no such talks. The denial comes at a time when relations between Iran and the US remain strained, with both countries having imposed significant sanctions on each other. The situation highlights the complex and often contentious nature of US-Iran relations, which have been marked by periods of heightened tension and diplomatic efforts. The Iranian government's stance on the matter underscores its commitment to its current policies and its resistance to external pressures.

Pakistan's military leadership has been playing a crucial role in attempting to broker negotiations between the US and Iran. The country's army chief, Asim Munir, recently had a call with US President Donald Trump to discuss the conflict. Diplomatic sources indicate that the US and Iran could meet for negotiations in Islamabad as early as this week to discuss an end to the war, which began almost a month ago. While Islamabad has yet to be officially confirmed as the venue, sources suggest that Tehran prefers Islamabad. Pakistani sources mention that US Vice-President JD Vance is being considered as a probable chief negotiator from the US side, rather than Trump's Middle East envoy Witkoff or Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Vance is viewed as a sceptic of the US decision to bomb Iran and has largely kept quiet on the conflict. After the phone call between Trump and Munir, Pakistan's Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday. According to an official readout of the call, they agreed on the urgent need for de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy. Sources suggest that Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, is likely to lead any talks from the Iranian side. However, Ghalibaf has dismissed reports of talks between the two sides as 'fake news'. An Iranian diplomatic source confirmed that talks are expected this week but expressed 'zero trust' in Washington. They stated that Iran would not accept Witkoff and Kushner as negotiators for any discussions. Negotiations between the US and Iran were ongoing when the US began its bombing campaign. The Iranian regime views these negotiations as an attempt by the Trump administration to deceive Iran into thinking it wanted a diplomatic solution while planning to attack. On Monday, Trump indicated that he would be willing to halt US strikes, claiming that 'strong talks' were being held between Iranian officials and Witkoff and Kushner. Trump told reporters that they had 'very, very strong talks' and that they had 'major points of agreement, I would say, almost all points of agreement'. The US president has given a five-day deadline to an ultimatum he gave over the weekend, threatening to 'obliterate' Iran's power plants and energy infrastructure if they did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route currently being blockaded by Iran's military. Trump's announcement of talks helped boost markets, bringing oil prices sharply down to below $100 (£75) a barrel, the lowest in days.

UK ministers have issued a stern warning that increasing North Sea drilling would leave the country vulnerable to the fluctuations of fossil fuel markets. This cautionary stance comes as the Conservatives and some Labour MPs are advocating for a reversal of the manifesto commitment to not issue new oil and gas licences.Energy Minister Michael Shanks emphasized that the UK is learning from past conflicts to avoid exposure to fossil fuels, which have previously led to households bearing the brunt of price hikes. The government's focus is on clean power to achieve energy sovereignty and national security.Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to outline plans to protect people from higher energy bills caused by the US-Iran conflict. The plans include measures to clamp down on price gouging, especially by petrol retailers responding to the conflict.Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, stressed that dependence on fossil fuel markets makes the UK a price taker, not a price maker. He argued that new licences in the North Sea would not affect prices and that scrapping the windfall tax would only increase energy company profits.The Labour Party has raised concerns about the impact of increased drilling on the environment and the economy. Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, argued that turning away from domestic gas would be detrimental, especially during a gas supply crisis.The government spokesperson highlighted the importance of £120bn of public investment in building homegrown energy, including nuclear power projects, to protect working people's bills for generations to come.