Iran’s top diplomat met Monday with the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog ahead of a second round of negotiations with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Washington, which joined Israel in a wave of airstrikes on Iran in June, has ordered a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East in the latest standoff with Tehran, in addition to other U.S. warships and aircraft that have already been deployed.
Adding to the tension, Iran began a military drill Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international waterway and oil export route from Gulf Arab states, who have been appealing for diplomacy to end the dispute.
The U.S. and Iran renewed negotiations earlier this month, hoping to tackle their dispute over Tehran's nuclear program, which Washington, other Western states and Israel all believe is aimed at building nuclear arms. Tehran denies this.
However, Washington has sought to expand the scope of talks to non-nuclear issues such as Iran's missile stockpile. Tehran says it is only willing to discuss curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief and won't accept zero uranium enrichment. It says its missile capabilities are off the table.
