Overview
- Crude jumped roughly 3% after a report suggested the planned U.S.–Iran talks were collapsing over a dispute on format and venue.
- Officials later confirmed the meeting will proceed in Oman on Friday, prompting prices to ease from the initial spike.
- Tehran seeks to limit negotiations to its nuclear program, while Washington wants missiles, regional proxies and human-rights issues included.
- U.S. forces reported shooting down an Iranian drone near the USS Abraham Lincoln, and U.S. Central Command said Iranian gunboats tried to board a U.S. merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
- WTI slipped to roughly $64 and Brent to about $68.5 after the confirmation, with traders highlighting continued sensitivity to diplomatic headlines and regional security risks.